The Fate of Destiny Part 66
Liz sipped her morning coffee and gazed out the window where her two youngest were playing in the backyard. Max was sleeping in the bedroom. Kathy doing her homework and Danny fidgeting across the table from her. "Are you… active?"
"Define active."
"Don't try to be cute."
"Yes." Danny cleared his throat and glanced behind him to his parent's bedroom door. "We were careful."
"I guess that's supposed to make me feel better." She took a breath.
"Em and I are it, Mom. I love her."
"You fell in love every week when you were nine." She stared into her cup.
"I'm not nine anymore. I'm—"
"You're only 16, Daniel." Liz looked up at her son. "I know that you think you feel strongly and that you think if you're careful nothing will happen but this isn't the time to be experimenting with anything." Tears filled her eyes. "I just watch you and your sister making so many mistakes and there's nothing that I can do about it. I'm trying but nothing's getting through."
"Mom…" Danny rushed to the other side of the table. "Mom." His voice sharp. "Do you really think that we're making mistakes?"
Liz sighed and turned to face him. "No. I guess I don't. I'm worried about the two of you. Kathy's not happy and Jacobi won't know to do anything about it. You… you're a good boy." She touched his hair. "You remind me so much of your father and sometimes I'm afraid of that similarity."
"Why?" He saw the hesitation.
"Don't worry about it. I just don't want you to grow up. Soon enough you'll be off at college. Then before I know it Beth will be gone and then it won't be long until there's no one in the house but me and your dad." She forced a smile. "Guess I need to cut the cord."
"Mom. It's a little premature to be envisioning the house without us." He tried to reassure her.
"If something happens you'll leave, I know it."
"Nothing's going to happen."
--
Kyle gripped the desk as four boys were escorted into the juvenile cells. Their heads were held high as they were locked up… until Kyle stepped in front of them. Fear shone in all their eyes. "This wasn't doing doughnuts on the football field. It wasn't cherry bombs in the toilets. You beat a boy until his own mother could barely recognize him. Your rich fathers aren't going to get you out of this mess. This was an assault. Four against one were unfair odds. You aren't little boys anymore. You know better. Right from wrong. This kind of behavior is not acceptable in our society. I want you boys to think about what you've done and be damned glad that my son is going to be just fine… though from his injuries, that was… That worried us, he could have not made it. He's a strong boy and lucky for you four, there's no brain damage."
"Sheriff." Deputy Harris tapped his shoulder. "How long are they in for?"
"Ask Billy. I'm not on this case." Kyle turned on his heel and left the level.
--
Max fought the urge to groan over the line. "Freddy."
"Max, this won't look good when the family presses charges. The boy's files are lacking proper notes on care. Why haven't you passed him off?"
"I promised I would personally see to him until he's released." Max shut his eyes. "It's my sister's kid."
"Tylenol 3. It's not on his chart."
"I'm not giving him Tylenol 3. He gets half an aspirin as he needs it, not to exceed two aspirin in a 16 hour period." He waited for the shout and it never came.
"Why?" Curious. That's interesting.
Out with the lies. "It's a genetic thing. My sister and I don't respond well to drugs and alcohol. More than half an aspirin for the pain would be like… taking morphine for a minor headache… not a good idea. I'm taking care of him."
"A genetic thing."
"I suppose it's hereditary but if you meet my biological parents, feel free to ask them about it. The trauma-induced amnesia stopped that night before we let him sleep for the night. His break was set, he's cast and bandaged and on the aspirin. He's doing great." Max sighed. "Freddy, don't worry about it. This will not be a legal issue for the hospital. I'm coming in tonight anyway."
"Remember this. You're a surgeon, not just a doctor."
"If I'm only a surgeon, why am I scheduled to two ER rotations a week?"
"Because you're a damn fine doctor. I'll see you… tonight? You're off."
"I'm checking on my nephew. His mother wants him home tomorrow. I'll sign off on it."
"I will. I want to see him for myself… there's no blood tests. Max. What the hell is going on with this kid?"
"Trust me, Freddy. No malpractice suits and certainly not from my sister. We… we don't allow blood tests in my family."
"Remind me not to join your cult, Max." Click.
--
"Mom?" Alex sat up awkwardly. His mother was asleep in the chair next to his bed. "Mom?"
"What?" Isabel jerked awake. "What?" She looked around and found him awake. "Hey sweetie."
"Why aren't you at work?" He tried to scold but he wasn't feeling too strong.
"Because my baby's in the hospital."
"MOM." But of course, being a teenager, he could always manage a whine. "I'm fine. Just tired. If you don't leave me alone I'll put out a restraining order."
"You will not." She smiled and leaned over to kiss an unmarred spot on his face. "So, did you talk to the policeman last night?"
"Yeah. I told him that Robby and his friends did it." Alex picked at his blanket with his good hand. "Mom, I had to tell him the truth. I threw the first punch."
"Why?" She sat up straight. Silence. He wouldn't answer. "Alexander Whitman. Why on earth would you punch first?" More silence. "Alex."
"Actually, he did kind of shove me first but yeah, I threw the first punch." He laid his head back. Conversation over. "Where's Berty and Kyle?"
Isabel let it slide for the moment but she'd get it out of him eventually. "Grandpa Jim has them at the park across the street. You want to see them?"
"No. I'd rather be in my own bed when they ask what happened to me." He shut his eyes and winced. "I need more aspirin."
"Not for another twenty minutes. Max said." She shook her head. She was grateful that Max was figuring out the ration thing. Excedrin the adults could take as prescribed but only once in a while, Tylenol seemed to affect them worse… much worse for some reason. Max thought maybe it had something to do with the caffeine levels, maybe the mix of ingredients.
"What are they going to do to Robby and his friends?"
"Don't know yet but I am pressing charges."
"They did start it Mom. I threw the first punch but they started it. Ask anyone at school, it was only a matter of time before they came at me." He flexed his fingers lightly.
"What reason in the world would they have for doing something like this to you?" She wiped at fresh tears.
"It's Robby. He would have thought of something."
--
Len turned on his monitors. This was some expensive stuff but technology made it possible to monitor five houses from the apartment he was renting. Monitor 1, four-way split screen; Guerin kitchen, living room, master bedroom and a fourth blank square in the daughter's bedroom. No need to get brought in on pedophile charges. All he needed was the sound. Monitor 2, four-way split screen; Evans living room, kitchen, master bedroom and grandkids playroom. Monitor 3, four-way split screen; Valenti living room/dining room, master bedroom, backyard, audio in the oldest kid's room. Monitor 4 and 5, split screens; Evans master bedroom, living room, den, kitchen, audio in all the kids' rooms. All blank screens were set to display a pattern when the audio picked up.
All he had to do was wait.
--
"It's my fault." Kathy whispered into the phone.
"It is not your fault. It's Robby's fault." Emily punched her bed angrily, nearly upsetting the phone next to her ear.
"I was so wrapped up in my non-baggage with Jacobi. We left Alex alone."
"It's as much my fault as yours then. Your mom busted me and Danny. We had to beat it to all our classes early after that." Emily took a breath. "We left him alone too."
"God, it makes me so angry. It's all because of me. Nikki hates me, so Robby hates Alex. I'm not even with Jacobi anymore."
"Nikki would have wanted anyone you dated. Didn't just have to be Jacobi." Em sat up and glanced at the clock. "I gotta go. Dad's coming home soon and we gotta touch base before tonight."
"What's tonight?"
"Nothing in particular. New house rules. Dinner together every night plus an hour of hanging out. Friday and Saturday we gotta touch base before going our separate ways. Sunday, no one goes anywhere." Em snorted. "It's a party at the Guerin house, every week."
"When's the wedding?"
"They're going to the JP next week. Or they were. I don't know anymore."
"Did he tell you what started it?" The softer tone told them they were back to their original subject.
"Yeah. I hope those bastards get what they deserve."
"We could help. Meet me tomorrow before school."
Em didn't like the sound of Kathy's voice but she'd have to play along to see what the blue-eyed devil was up to.
TBC
The Fate of Destiny Part 181E CC/UC ADULT 09/02/10 COMPLETE
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, Erina, Forum Moderators
Part 67
The Fate of Destiny Part 67
Kathy sucked in a breath when she closed her locker and Jacobi was standing there. "Um, hi."
"Hey, uh… I just wanted to see how your cousin was doing." Jacobi took a step back and fiddled with a locker's stickers. "I know you guys are real close and those jerks are just… jerks, I guess."
"Alex is doing alright. He'll be back at school in no time. Thanks… you know… for caring and all." Kathy bit at her lip and quickly stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "I just hope those guys get sent away."
"Yeah, me too. I couldn't ever look at those guys the same way again." His eyes drifted down to his shoes. "Listen, I know that um… we are just friends and everything but the dance is coming up."
"I don't know, Jacobi."
"Come on. Just as friends. I'll pick you up, we'll hang out with some people before the dance. We do a little dancing, then a little more hanging and I'll take you home whenever you feel appropriate. No expectations. Just friends."
"I'll think about it." She whispered, not wanting to see his face crumble. "I gotta get to class."
"Yeah, okay. I'll catch you later." Jacobi nodded without lifting his head.
She had to turn and walk away just to avoid seeing him so hurt. Then she saw her 'friends.' She stepped around them and entered class, stone cold expression on her face. She ignored their calls for her to wait. She sat down at her station in the lab and waited for Emily to show. Instead, Jules sat down. "Go away."
"Kaths… come on. We've been friends forever. I'm sorry about the shit that's been happening." Jules pleaded. "Come on."
"You know what? I'm too stressed right now to deal with anybody's crap. Alright?" Kathy told her. "Please. Leave."
"Kathy, sweetie, what have you got to be stressed about? You're living a charmed life and you know the only reason anyone talks shit is they wanna pull you down. You got the cool mom, the hot dad, decent sibs. Your uncle is the Sheriff. Your cuz is gonna be alright and all. Only thing I don't get is what the hell happened with Jacobi. Ya'll are fine one day and the next he won't even admit to dating you." Jules slid around the table to get into Kathy's line of sight. "What happened?"
"You know what? You were talking shit about me. You want to tear me down because I'm leading some damn charmed life?" Kathy grabbed her things and stood. "I don't need this shit right now."
"Kath!" Jules called out but Kathy stormed out the door.
Kathy moved quickly through the thinning crowds and she nearly threw out her father's infamous shield when someone gripped her arms. Jacobi's concerned face stared back at her. She couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around him and let him comfort her.
--
Alex waved his hand over a sheet of paper… and another… and another… and another. Finally, he was done with his home work for the days he'd missed to this point. He was healing quickly but to keep up appearances, he'd been out a while longer and he'd have to keep wearing the cast. He was so bored!
--
Kyle flipped through the report. He had to keep current on it but he shut his eyes after reading Alex's statement on what happened. He had thought growing up the Sheriff's son would have been tough enough but when you had to deal with the fact of being Isabel Evan's son on top of that. Poor kid.
--
Nicole tugged at the knob on her locker but it wouldn't turn. She asked her friends for help and they couldn't turn it either. She got the janitor to cut off the lock and the locker was stuck. The janitor had to undo the hinges and pry it off backward. The janitor stared at the locker door in his hands. "Ain't had that happen in nearly 20 years."
Emily smiled from down the hallway. That was fun. She tore down the hallway to find Kathy somewhere; the girl had been MIA all day.
--
Len parked outside the strange house recording address and house specifics for later runs. Didn't know what the deal was but the Evans daughter had been taken there.
--
Max made his rounds, checked in with his superiors, wrote up his charts. Then he left early. He needed to check on Alex then see if he could find any remaining connections to the Special Unit. He just hoped he could do it without calling undo attention to himself.
--
Jacobi held the sobbing girl against his chest and let her sob her heart out on his chest. He had known there was something wrong with her for days but he couldn't approach her without feeling the sting of her rejection. Finally, she quieted. Kathy took a deep breath and sat up. "I can't do this anymore."
"Do what?" He asked softly.
"I can't lie to you."
"About?"
"How I feel." She straddled his lap.
"Whoa. Hold on." Jacobi started to put his hands on her shoulder then thought better of it. If he put hands on her hips, it might seem like an invitation. He settled for hands on her rib cage to hold her off his lap.
"Jacobi, I love you." She ran her hands through his hair and brought her face down to his. He surrendered to the kiss and then his mind was freed from the prison it had been locked up in. Desire swept through the connection and his hands slid around to her back so he could crush her body to his.
"Don't ever do that again. You hear me? I can handle it." He murmured against her neck.
"You don't hate me?" She rested her head on top of his.
"No, just don't… not trust me."
"I've missed you." Kathy sighed and just held onto him.
"Babe, as much as I'm loving this, you're suffocating me." Her laugh shook her chest, smothering him just a bit more before she sat back to give him some air. "So, what was wrong today?"
"Stupid gossip, guilty conscience… Alex… Emily. She thinks we should strike back and I wanted to at first but I don't want to cause more problems with this guy snooping around." She sighed heavily and found comfort in the way he supported her back to keep her from falling off his lap. "Jules and everyone… they were talking behind my back, not just about me but about Em and Danny."
"Don't worry about them. They're bored prima donnas." Licked his lips as he ran his thumbs over her waist. "I think you should forget about them. You're not done apologizing to me yet."
"I'm not?"
"No, ma'am. I've been deprived for way too long and I'm afraid that I've been wilting away."
"Is that right?" She slid off his lap and gripping his hand, pulled him off the couch. "When do your parents get home?"
"We've got a good few hours."
"More than enough time for what I have planned."
--
Max entered the building designated for the FBI in Roswell. It was little more than an office but it was more than enough for what he needed. The secretary looked up, alarmed that he had walked in without being buzzed in. "Can--- Can I help you?"
"Probably. Who's in charge here?"
"Agent Goldblum." She buzzed his office a few times to get his attention. "Who are you?"
"Max Evans." Max took a breath and drew on his inner strength to see him through this.
"Max… Evans…" Agent Goldblum repeated from where he stood in an adjacent doorway. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
"It will." Max turned his head slowly to look at the man. He was still in his hospitable scrubs but he wouldn't be intimidated. "You tell whoever is in charge of the Special Unit, to lay off."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't give me any lines of shit." Max locked eyes with the man and saw the second the agent's resolve faltered. "Someone in the SU is looking into me and I'm not having it. I haven't done a damn thing and he's targeting me and my children. You tell them that if anything happens to anyone in my immediate and extended family, there will be hell to pay. It won't be like the last time where just the Unit was disappeared, I'll go in for the whole thing if they don't back off."
"Mr. Evans."
"Dr. Evans." Max turned his whole body to the man. "I'm not a scared little boy anymore and you make sure they know that. I work, I save lives, I pay taxes and I've used government funds to pay my way through college. I am an American citizen who has had his liberties violated once already and a second time would mean severe damage in the eyes of the public. Understand?"
"Who the hell do you think you are to make these kind of threats?" Agent Goldblum took a step toward the man in his office. "I should take you in right now."
"But you won't. You are going to pass that message along and you are going to cooperate with me to find these men that are threatening my family. If you don't call off your boys or help me find out who is doing this, the American people will find out what happens to 17-year-old boys who save people's lives and believe you me, it isn't a medal of honor."
Agent Goldblum paled at the implication. "What proof do you have?"
"This is America. I don't need proof. I just need a podium. Don't be mistaken into thinking I've fabricated anything." Max took just one step closer to the Agent. "If you tell them any one thing from our conversation, you tell the SU that Max Evans still has nightmares from Eaglerock."
The agent and his secretary watched in stunned silence as the man exited the building. He snapped his fingers at her. "Get me to Director Morris. He's gotta know more about this."
TBC
Kathy sucked in a breath when she closed her locker and Jacobi was standing there. "Um, hi."
"Hey, uh… I just wanted to see how your cousin was doing." Jacobi took a step back and fiddled with a locker's stickers. "I know you guys are real close and those jerks are just… jerks, I guess."
"Alex is doing alright. He'll be back at school in no time. Thanks… you know… for caring and all." Kathy bit at her lip and quickly stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "I just hope those guys get sent away."
"Yeah, me too. I couldn't ever look at those guys the same way again." His eyes drifted down to his shoes. "Listen, I know that um… we are just friends and everything but the dance is coming up."
"I don't know, Jacobi."
"Come on. Just as friends. I'll pick you up, we'll hang out with some people before the dance. We do a little dancing, then a little more hanging and I'll take you home whenever you feel appropriate. No expectations. Just friends."
"I'll think about it." She whispered, not wanting to see his face crumble. "I gotta get to class."
"Yeah, okay. I'll catch you later." Jacobi nodded without lifting his head.
She had to turn and walk away just to avoid seeing him so hurt. Then she saw her 'friends.' She stepped around them and entered class, stone cold expression on her face. She ignored their calls for her to wait. She sat down at her station in the lab and waited for Emily to show. Instead, Jules sat down. "Go away."
"Kaths… come on. We've been friends forever. I'm sorry about the shit that's been happening." Jules pleaded. "Come on."
"You know what? I'm too stressed right now to deal with anybody's crap. Alright?" Kathy told her. "Please. Leave."
"Kathy, sweetie, what have you got to be stressed about? You're living a charmed life and you know the only reason anyone talks shit is they wanna pull you down. You got the cool mom, the hot dad, decent sibs. Your uncle is the Sheriff. Your cuz is gonna be alright and all. Only thing I don't get is what the hell happened with Jacobi. Ya'll are fine one day and the next he won't even admit to dating you." Jules slid around the table to get into Kathy's line of sight. "What happened?"
"You know what? You were talking shit about me. You want to tear me down because I'm leading some damn charmed life?" Kathy grabbed her things and stood. "I don't need this shit right now."
"Kath!" Jules called out but Kathy stormed out the door.
Kathy moved quickly through the thinning crowds and she nearly threw out her father's infamous shield when someone gripped her arms. Jacobi's concerned face stared back at her. She couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around him and let him comfort her.
--
Alex waved his hand over a sheet of paper… and another… and another… and another. Finally, he was done with his home work for the days he'd missed to this point. He was healing quickly but to keep up appearances, he'd been out a while longer and he'd have to keep wearing the cast. He was so bored!
--
Kyle flipped through the report. He had to keep current on it but he shut his eyes after reading Alex's statement on what happened. He had thought growing up the Sheriff's son would have been tough enough but when you had to deal with the fact of being Isabel Evan's son on top of that. Poor kid.
--
Nicole tugged at the knob on her locker but it wouldn't turn. She asked her friends for help and they couldn't turn it either. She got the janitor to cut off the lock and the locker was stuck. The janitor had to undo the hinges and pry it off backward. The janitor stared at the locker door in his hands. "Ain't had that happen in nearly 20 years."
Emily smiled from down the hallway. That was fun. She tore down the hallway to find Kathy somewhere; the girl had been MIA all day.
--
Len parked outside the strange house recording address and house specifics for later runs. Didn't know what the deal was but the Evans daughter had been taken there.
--
Max made his rounds, checked in with his superiors, wrote up his charts. Then he left early. He needed to check on Alex then see if he could find any remaining connections to the Special Unit. He just hoped he could do it without calling undo attention to himself.
--
Jacobi held the sobbing girl against his chest and let her sob her heart out on his chest. He had known there was something wrong with her for days but he couldn't approach her without feeling the sting of her rejection. Finally, she quieted. Kathy took a deep breath and sat up. "I can't do this anymore."
"Do what?" He asked softly.
"I can't lie to you."
"About?"
"How I feel." She straddled his lap.
"Whoa. Hold on." Jacobi started to put his hands on her shoulder then thought better of it. If he put hands on her hips, it might seem like an invitation. He settled for hands on her rib cage to hold her off his lap.
"Jacobi, I love you." She ran her hands through his hair and brought her face down to his. He surrendered to the kiss and then his mind was freed from the prison it had been locked up in. Desire swept through the connection and his hands slid around to her back so he could crush her body to his.
"Don't ever do that again. You hear me? I can handle it." He murmured against her neck.
"You don't hate me?" She rested her head on top of his.
"No, just don't… not trust me."
"I've missed you." Kathy sighed and just held onto him.
"Babe, as much as I'm loving this, you're suffocating me." Her laugh shook her chest, smothering him just a bit more before she sat back to give him some air. "So, what was wrong today?"
"Stupid gossip, guilty conscience… Alex… Emily. She thinks we should strike back and I wanted to at first but I don't want to cause more problems with this guy snooping around." She sighed heavily and found comfort in the way he supported her back to keep her from falling off his lap. "Jules and everyone… they were talking behind my back, not just about me but about Em and Danny."
"Don't worry about them. They're bored prima donnas." Licked his lips as he ran his thumbs over her waist. "I think you should forget about them. You're not done apologizing to me yet."
"I'm not?"
"No, ma'am. I've been deprived for way too long and I'm afraid that I've been wilting away."
"Is that right?" She slid off his lap and gripping his hand, pulled him off the couch. "When do your parents get home?"
"We've got a good few hours."
"More than enough time for what I have planned."
--
Max entered the building designated for the FBI in Roswell. It was little more than an office but it was more than enough for what he needed. The secretary looked up, alarmed that he had walked in without being buzzed in. "Can--- Can I help you?"
"Probably. Who's in charge here?"
"Agent Goldblum." She buzzed his office a few times to get his attention. "Who are you?"
"Max Evans." Max took a breath and drew on his inner strength to see him through this.
"Max… Evans…" Agent Goldblum repeated from where he stood in an adjacent doorway. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
"It will." Max turned his head slowly to look at the man. He was still in his hospitable scrubs but he wouldn't be intimidated. "You tell whoever is in charge of the Special Unit, to lay off."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't give me any lines of shit." Max locked eyes with the man and saw the second the agent's resolve faltered. "Someone in the SU is looking into me and I'm not having it. I haven't done a damn thing and he's targeting me and my children. You tell them that if anything happens to anyone in my immediate and extended family, there will be hell to pay. It won't be like the last time where just the Unit was disappeared, I'll go in for the whole thing if they don't back off."
"Mr. Evans."
"Dr. Evans." Max turned his whole body to the man. "I'm not a scared little boy anymore and you make sure they know that. I work, I save lives, I pay taxes and I've used government funds to pay my way through college. I am an American citizen who has had his liberties violated once already and a second time would mean severe damage in the eyes of the public. Understand?"
"Who the hell do you think you are to make these kind of threats?" Agent Goldblum took a step toward the man in his office. "I should take you in right now."
"But you won't. You are going to pass that message along and you are going to cooperate with me to find these men that are threatening my family. If you don't call off your boys or help me find out who is doing this, the American people will find out what happens to 17-year-old boys who save people's lives and believe you me, it isn't a medal of honor."
Agent Goldblum paled at the implication. "What proof do you have?"
"This is America. I don't need proof. I just need a podium. Don't be mistaken into thinking I've fabricated anything." Max took just one step closer to the Agent. "If you tell them any one thing from our conversation, you tell the SU that Max Evans still has nightmares from Eaglerock."
The agent and his secretary watched in stunned silence as the man exited the building. He snapped his fingers at her. "Get me to Director Morris. He's gotta know more about this."
TBC
Part 68
The Fate of Destiny Part 68
"Is there anything I should know if he comes back? What should I tell this guy?" Agent Goldblum hissed into the phone.
"There is no… official record of Dr. Evans but… I'll tell you that every person involved with the uh… Special Investigations unit has vanished… that is officially, of course."
"What are you saying? Is this guy going to kill me?"
"I doubt it. I've spoken to my superiors regarding this Evans matter. If he returns, inform him that the unit he inquired about has been defunct for over 18 years. The Federal government has no interest in his family or person. The U.S. government has no interest in pursuing matters long dropped. He may continue to live his life without our interference and it may be possible to allot a grant to Roswell Memorial Hospital for an amount to be set at a later date."
"He also wanted me to help him find the people harassing his family."
"I suggest then, that you cooperate to the fullest of your own capabilities and do not file a report on this save for any expenditures the investigation may curtail. In that event please use this expense account number and code. Account number 55436523XFN. Code SUE. And no, that wasn't a joke."
"Do I get the details on this?" Goldblum got the feeling that whatever this was about, it was a source of embarrassment for his bureau.
"No. Um, I myself do not have the uh, details of this matter. This is need to know only. If indeed Dr. Evans returns for assistance, you will dial 703-555-4585, extension 6479. You will be provided with any additional information by the agent on call or by Dr. Evans himself." The Director cleared his throat. "Your clearance will rise to a level suiting that agent and you will be briefed on the politics of this matter. I am told this is related to National Security and your performance will reflect not only on you and I but the entire branch of the bureau."
"There's a whole lot of political correctness going around." Goldblum muttered. "Sir, I got the impression that this man's civil rights were violated."
"It is possible. Don't push the envelope Goldblum. If he doesn't need your help, you'll be fine. If he does… you'll either be… reassigned… or promoted beyond your wildest dreams."
The dial tone rung in Goldblum's ears. He caught every thing left unsaid. The transfer he was to take in a week would not happen. Director Morris had sounded like he was either reading off a cue card, had a gun to his head… or both. He just had to sit and pray that Dr. Evans never needed assistance in this matter.
--
Isabel sat in the back of the room and listened to the hearing. She hadn't allowed Alex to attend but it needed to be done. She had plenty of pictures though. These boys were going to juvvie for the remainder of their teenager years… and had an additional six months in a penal facility. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Alex's statement was read before the judge.
--
Liz sat at her table during lunch with Emily across from her. She was supposed to be doing her Chemistry but, Liz needed some answers. "So, I heard that Nicole Jansen's locker was mysteriously melted shut."
"Is that right?" Emily barely flinched.
"Raven McDonel… she came down with a mysterious rash."
"Too bad."
"And all the rest of their friends?"
"Mystery to me." She shrugged casually, she hoped.
"Right." Liz nodded. "You can't do this."
"Do what?"
"Use your powers to get back at them. Robby and the other boys are going to juvenile hall." Liz took a breath. "Nicole didn't do anything."
"She doesn't have to. She will." Em threw down her pen. "Do you have any idea what it's like for us? Being your kids? We love you but everyone talks. Did you know that my dad murdered my mom? Did you know that he took off on a whoring spree after she died? Did you know he's marrying the speech teacher because he knocked her up? That's the tip, Liz. That stuff is all mine. I'm dating your son and you know all the things that get said behind his back. We can't afford to sit back and let people talk. People like Nicole get nasty, they involve their brainless boyfriends and Alex gets pummeled because he's the smallest of all of us… the least able to take care of himself."
"This doesn't make it any better." Liz tried to comfort her.
"I guess it doesn't but there's nothing really I can do but pull these pranks."
--
Kathy lay chest to chest with her boyfriend, just enjoying the feel of skin on skin. She liked his bed, it was wide and the box spring was broken so no matter where you lay, you eventually slid to the middle. They were supposed to be having the sex talk but they had gotten distracted. Her skin was a bronze like her father's and Jacobi's was an olive like his parents… like her mother's. She bit her lip and ran her finger along his arm. He kissed her lips hungrily. He moaned and pulled away. "I warned you about doing that."
"Where were we?" She cleared her throat and rolled part way onto her back, making him groan at the sight of her bared breasts. "The sex thing."
"We don’t really have to."
"We don't have to worry about our reputations… according to our friends, you've already knocked me up and forced me to have an abortion." She laughed at the expression on his face.
"Just warn me if your father ever hears that one." He managed a smile. "I'd like a head start out of town… Danny hasn't heard that one, right?"
"He knows better." Kathy lay back all the way. "He knows we haven't."
"But here we are planning it. I mean… obviously we're going to have to invest in protection but is there anything I need to know?"
"I'm highly fertile."
"Okay, like I said, we don't have to do anything." He sat up, checking that his pants were still intact and looking for her shirt.
"Jacobi…" She pulled him back down. "Actually, um, I was going to uh… talk to my mom about going on the pill." Noted the expression on his face. "It's really hard to keep secrets in my family… especially on the sex subject given our family's history."
"And the history?" He fixed his eyes on her face and waited. He was liking this less and less the more they talked about it.
"My biological mother only had sex once in her life. She died in childbirth. My mom gets pregnant pretty much whenever my dad feels like it. My aunt Iz… poor thing..." Kathy took a breath. "I know the risks, Jacobi but I want this. I want to be with you."
"I don't know." He wrapped a dark curl around his finger and took a breath. "I don't want anything to happen and… it'll change everything."
Kathy studied his face as he spoke; he was looking into her face but not into her eyes. "You slept with someone else."
--
Oriel set down the phone and sighed. Dinner was on the table already. Emily was actually sitting there. "Your dad's gonna be late."
"Are you still going tomorrow?" Emily whispered.
"Of course." She didn't sound as sure as she meant to.
"Look… my… hostility has nothing to do with you as a person or what you mean to my dad so much as what you represent to me." Emily cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea. "You and me… we aren't going to be good for a very long time."
"What are you saying?" Oriel maneuvered her body onto a chair and waited.
"I'm letting you know what the deal is. Dad hasn't ever been like this and I know it's important to him that we get along or whatever." Emily nodded to herself. "I'll be out of your hair after next year. Regardless of anything that happens between now and then… I'm going to college, I'm moving out and doing all that freshman stuff."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I don't want you to think that this is how my dad really is… that you thought you knew him and suddenly he's changed. When you marry him tomorrow… you'll marry the same great guy that we both love." Emily's eyes rose to her very soon to be stepmother. "This tough guy, this ain't my dad. He's never talked about his childhood to me. I think he's ashamed but I hear things. Heard his foster situation was a really raw deal. Hear things like he's pretending to be something that he's not."
"What's that?"
"That he's not trailer trash." Emily shrugged. "People are cruel."
Silence hung over the table. Oriel had to wrap her mind around Emily's sudden openness. "What is it that I represent to you?"
"A replacement for the mother I never had."
--
Michael hung back in the entryway of the house and listened to them talk. When that last sentence was uttered, it ripped out his heart. That's what it was all about. Oriel wasn't the replacement for Maria in Emily's eyes… because in Emily's eyes, there never had been a Maria. No mommy. He knew that he had never talked much about her. He had kept her things around. CDs, brushes, funky little knick-knacks until they had gotten broken but a lot of it Amy had in her house. Clothes had been given away, pictures had been put away. Those pictures were up in the Evans attic. Most of what Emily had learned about Maria had probably been through Liz. Shutting the door quietly, he opened it up again and made a lot of noise entering the house.
--
Liz watched Max fidget all through dinner. The kids had taken one look at him and kept quiet about it. His fingers were poised over his mouth as if he had a cigarette there. His leg kept bouncing up and down and his dinner had to be ice-cold. It was a welcome distraction when Davey had climbed into Max's lap and planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. Kathy and Bethany had stifled giggles and Danny managed to keep his to a smirk. All faded when Max had simply kissed Davey's forehead and set him back on the ground. Soon enough though, the kids finished their dinner and were excused from the table leaving Max still staring at something between his nose and his plate.
Liz picked up his plate and popped it in the microwave but didn't push any buttons yet. "What's going on, Max?"
"What?" He snapped his head up to look at her, furrowed his brow and then looked around the table. "Where are the kids?"
"Upstairs… getting ready for bed and doing homework… because unlike you… they ate their dinner." Liz pointed out.
"I ate… didn't I?" Max glanced down and his plate was gone.
"It's in the microwave. You can heat it up later." Liz walked around the table and sat in his lap. "Do you want to tell me what's got your mind in a whirl?"
"I'm worried." He laid his head on her shoulder and gripped her body loosely, he was so tired.
"What about?"
"The… stuff going on. You know." He sighed heavily. "Maybe I made a big mistake."
"What kind of mistake?" She turned his face upward and he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"A couple of days ago, I went to the FBI."
"You what?" Liz sprang off his lap.
"I didn't have any other choice. What am I supposed to do? Let them come in and take us all away?" Max sagged lower in his chair.
"What did you do? Max, what did you do?" Liz hugged herself and she couldn't fight the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I laid down a threat."
"What are you going to do? Take them all on?" She couldn't feel her knees anymore and then she realized she had sunk to the ground. "Max, how could you do this? It's too dangerous."
"What are we supposed to do, Liz? Huh? Let them come in and destroy our lives? Run, maybe?" Max rose to his feet. "I had to do something. I have to keep our lives from falling apart. I have worked too long and hard all my life to make sure we were safe. I'm not going to let them come in now and rip it all apart."
"It was stupid, Max. You went right to them, probably gave yourself away." Liz couldn't get up, she was too angry at him. "They were only watching us. Now they know it is us. How could you do this? To me, to your kids. Your sister? Your best friend? It's not just you. It's all of us."
"Don't you think I know that? I can't let them rule our lives. I have to take control. I have to make them see that they can't do it again. Not to me, you, the kids or anyone else."
"Don't you see? This time it's not going to be the White Room. This time it's going to be execution. There are too many of us now and they aren't going to settle for experimentation. They're going to come in and destroy us all because they can't control us." She found her legs again and stood up. "What makes you think that they'll take you seriously? What makes you think that you can take care of this all by yourself?"
"Because if I don't think I can, I won't be able to. If they so much as take a hair sample, there will be hell to pay." Max let the anger fill him. It felt good. "I will not allow anyone to get in the way of this family. If I have to hunt each and every one down, I will. I will do it because they cannot just rip us up by the roots and do what they want."
"Then go. I won't let you endanger us anymore. I can't believe you went to them. We have to leave now."
"No! We stay put. They will not scare us off. We don't back off this time."
--
Isabel kissed her son's forehead and tried to blink back the tears. She cleared her throat of a sob as she pushed his hair off his face. She nearly screamed when he spoke. "What'd they get?"
"What I said they would… the next year and a half in juvenile hall and six months in penal facility." Isabel nodded and bit her lip. "How did you do today?"
"Good. I'm bored out of my mind though." He sighed and shut his eyes again. "Don't let me take anymore aspirin. It's really starting to get to me."
"Okay." She nodded. "How's the homework coming?"
"Got maybe half of it done. I'm just so bored."
"Write me a song then."
"Oh, like I can just make one up off the top of my head." He opened his eyes and glared at her.
"I think it might take you a while. It might keep you busy."
"I only have one hand."
"Then it'll take three times as long." She kissed his forehead again. "Goodnight."
"Mom, did you tell the munchkins to keep out of here?" Alex cleared his throat.
"Didn't want them to disturb you or accidentally hurt you more." She tilted her head at him. He was forever yelling at them to leave him alone and here he was asking for their presence.
"Let them disturb me." He let his head fall against his pillow.
"Okay. Just make sure you're getting rest." She shut the door and made it down the hallway to her own room. Kyle was shedding his uniform. "Am I a bad mother?"
"What?" Kyle blinked at her, his blue eyes filled with confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"It's my fault."
"Oh." Kyle winced. "It's not your fault. Those kids were jerks."
"I don't look like a mom?" Isabel studied her reflection. She couldn't remember the last time she really looked in a mirror. In high school, the mirror had been her best friend but she honestly could not remember the last time she consciously looked in the mirror at herself.
"Sorry, sweetie." Kyle pulled her down on to the bed. "Don't be ashamed that you look so good. Have you seen some of the beasts our friends in high school have turned into?"
Isabel snorted in an effort to keep from laughing. Her good mood faded quickly. "Kyle, I don't put any effort into how I look."
"And you're still beautiful."
"Which is my point." She sighed and leaned back into his arms. "Someone asked me if I was still in college the other day."
"So."
"So… I'm in my thirties, Kyle. What am I going to look like when Alex brings his kids to meet grandma? Huh? I'm not going to be the gray-haired old lady that my parents' parents were. I'm not going to look how my mother looked even when we were in high school." Tears filled her eyes suddenly. "When you start looking like your dad… I'll still be like this."
"Somehow, I doubt it. Look at Max."
"Max is a lazy bum who smokes and—"
"You know he works out. He's got a fatherly gut, which I have managed to avoid so far." Kyle laughed when she smiled. He turned her face so he could see her eyes. "If I am 80 years old and you still look even 20 years younger… I will count myself lucky. I'll have the best sex life in the retirement community." That sent them both into snickers. "And at least you don't have any of the gray that Max does."
"Sometimes I wish I did. Like today… I was sitting in that room and when they read his statement, all eyes were on me. Like it was my fault. Like I should be ashamed of myself for being pretty or for allowing my son to be hurt so bad. Like I had done something to deserve it." The tears filled her eyes.
"You don’t pay any attention to them. You and I know there was nothing we could do. This happened on school property. The school has to deal with it. They're locking down kids with free hour in the lounge. No one's allowed outside anymore. Robby and the other boys realized too late that they can't get away with it anymore." Kyle took a breath. "There are always boys like them. I was friends with them in high school. You remember what they did to Max." Isabel nodded and turned in his arms. "We can't help the way other people are. We just have to protect what we have and not be afraid to be proud of ourselves." He smiled at her. "I've got the prettiest wife in town and I wouldn't trade her for the world."
--
"Mom?" Liz wiped at her eyes and turned back to the door she was about to close.
"Yeah, sweetie?" She pushed the door open, then at the look on Kathy's face, shut the door and sat on the bed. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
"For?"
"It's my fault. If I hadn't been out there, then maybe."
"No." Liz stopped her daughter's words. "No. Even if you hadn't been out there, they still would have been. It's better that we know."
--
Len turned up the volume on the Evans speaker. He had heard the fight earlier but didn't know what to make of it. This was a little more interesting. "It's better that we know."
"But—"
"No buts. This isn't your fault. It was bound to happen eventually."
"I don't want you and Daddy to fight."
"That especially isn't your fault."
Len waited and wished he had gone ahead and put the video on in the Evans house.
"Honey, what's wrong? You were really quiet at dinner… even given Daddy's mood."
"I know. I know… If I tell you something, promise not to jump to the wrong conclusion."
"That depends on what you tell me."
"It's just that Jacobi and I were discussing… intimacy."
"Is that so."
"We haven't done anything, Mom. We were discussing it…"
"No."
"What?"
"You and Mr. Wilson will not be having sex."
Len scribbled the name down and began to tune out the conversation for a bit while he looked up the kid.
"Would you let me finish? We were talking about it and when I told him about us being so… He backed off… and then he told me that he had been with someone else. How in the world he managed to escape the ever-reaching claws of the gossip mill, I'll never know but… Mom, he got her pregnant."
"Jacobi has a baby?"
"No. Her parents took care of it and moved her away."
"Oh."
"He's never pushed me, Mom… and he won't. I just… I'm not sure how to deal with the information."
"Sweetie, I know you really care about him and you've already told him about us."
Len's ears pricked up and turned the volume back up.
"But… I don't want you to get hurt."
"I love him, Mom. He loves me. I see it every time I kiss him. He loves me so much he doesn't know what to do."
"I hope that's true. I really do. Just... I'm really glad you decided to keep him but things are escalating now and with these people looking into us… don't do anything. Understand? We can't afford for anything to go wrong just now. No powers and be careful where you kiss him. If things… escalate for you two, there will be glowing and it will be hard to control."
Glowing? Len dialed the number and waited for the gruff voice to answer before he turned down the volume. "Look, boss. I've been picking up on some interesting conversations. Nothing incriminating but I think they know I've been poking around."
"Do they know it's you?"
"Of course not."
"Good, now what are you so excited about?"
"Evans, he's been talking to the FBI. A white room was mentioned. They think that the government is after them to make an execution or something. This is definitely involving everyone in the family." Len looked over his notes. "I also got the sister talking about aging process, she thinks hers isn't normal or something. Like I said, nothing incriminating… just all very interesting."
"You really think he went to the FBI?"
"Yeah. I know he's been there but I don't know what he told them or what they told him."
"Don’t let them get wind of this. I already had them breathing down my back."
"Know anything about 'glowing'?"
"Glowing."
"Never mind. I'll look into it." Len sighed. "Gonna need some cash to look into the boyfriend."
"Yeah, okay. I'll wire some in. You're finally making progress then?"
"So long as they don't find out I'm watching them or that I've got bugs in the houses, yeah."
"Good. Good. Maybe we'll get some answers soon."
TBC
Whoa... Part 68 out of 102 posted... but don't worry there's still lots more story.
"Is there anything I should know if he comes back? What should I tell this guy?" Agent Goldblum hissed into the phone.
"There is no… official record of Dr. Evans but… I'll tell you that every person involved with the uh… Special Investigations unit has vanished… that is officially, of course."
"What are you saying? Is this guy going to kill me?"
"I doubt it. I've spoken to my superiors regarding this Evans matter. If he returns, inform him that the unit he inquired about has been defunct for over 18 years. The Federal government has no interest in his family or person. The U.S. government has no interest in pursuing matters long dropped. He may continue to live his life without our interference and it may be possible to allot a grant to Roswell Memorial Hospital for an amount to be set at a later date."
"He also wanted me to help him find the people harassing his family."
"I suggest then, that you cooperate to the fullest of your own capabilities and do not file a report on this save for any expenditures the investigation may curtail. In that event please use this expense account number and code. Account number 55436523XFN. Code SUE. And no, that wasn't a joke."
"Do I get the details on this?" Goldblum got the feeling that whatever this was about, it was a source of embarrassment for his bureau.
"No. Um, I myself do not have the uh, details of this matter. This is need to know only. If indeed Dr. Evans returns for assistance, you will dial 703-555-4585, extension 6479. You will be provided with any additional information by the agent on call or by Dr. Evans himself." The Director cleared his throat. "Your clearance will rise to a level suiting that agent and you will be briefed on the politics of this matter. I am told this is related to National Security and your performance will reflect not only on you and I but the entire branch of the bureau."
"There's a whole lot of political correctness going around." Goldblum muttered. "Sir, I got the impression that this man's civil rights were violated."
"It is possible. Don't push the envelope Goldblum. If he doesn't need your help, you'll be fine. If he does… you'll either be… reassigned… or promoted beyond your wildest dreams."
The dial tone rung in Goldblum's ears. He caught every thing left unsaid. The transfer he was to take in a week would not happen. Director Morris had sounded like he was either reading off a cue card, had a gun to his head… or both. He just had to sit and pray that Dr. Evans never needed assistance in this matter.
--
Isabel sat in the back of the room and listened to the hearing. She hadn't allowed Alex to attend but it needed to be done. She had plenty of pictures though. These boys were going to juvvie for the remainder of their teenager years… and had an additional six months in a penal facility. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Alex's statement was read before the judge.
--
Liz sat at her table during lunch with Emily across from her. She was supposed to be doing her Chemistry but, Liz needed some answers. "So, I heard that Nicole Jansen's locker was mysteriously melted shut."
"Is that right?" Emily barely flinched.
"Raven McDonel… she came down with a mysterious rash."
"Too bad."
"And all the rest of their friends?"
"Mystery to me." She shrugged casually, she hoped.
"Right." Liz nodded. "You can't do this."
"Do what?"
"Use your powers to get back at them. Robby and the other boys are going to juvenile hall." Liz took a breath. "Nicole didn't do anything."
"She doesn't have to. She will." Em threw down her pen. "Do you have any idea what it's like for us? Being your kids? We love you but everyone talks. Did you know that my dad murdered my mom? Did you know that he took off on a whoring spree after she died? Did you know he's marrying the speech teacher because he knocked her up? That's the tip, Liz. That stuff is all mine. I'm dating your son and you know all the things that get said behind his back. We can't afford to sit back and let people talk. People like Nicole get nasty, they involve their brainless boyfriends and Alex gets pummeled because he's the smallest of all of us… the least able to take care of himself."
"This doesn't make it any better." Liz tried to comfort her.
"I guess it doesn't but there's nothing really I can do but pull these pranks."
--
Kathy lay chest to chest with her boyfriend, just enjoying the feel of skin on skin. She liked his bed, it was wide and the box spring was broken so no matter where you lay, you eventually slid to the middle. They were supposed to be having the sex talk but they had gotten distracted. Her skin was a bronze like her father's and Jacobi's was an olive like his parents… like her mother's. She bit her lip and ran her finger along his arm. He kissed her lips hungrily. He moaned and pulled away. "I warned you about doing that."
"Where were we?" She cleared her throat and rolled part way onto her back, making him groan at the sight of her bared breasts. "The sex thing."
"We don’t really have to."
"We don't have to worry about our reputations… according to our friends, you've already knocked me up and forced me to have an abortion." She laughed at the expression on his face.
"Just warn me if your father ever hears that one." He managed a smile. "I'd like a head start out of town… Danny hasn't heard that one, right?"
"He knows better." Kathy lay back all the way. "He knows we haven't."
"But here we are planning it. I mean… obviously we're going to have to invest in protection but is there anything I need to know?"
"I'm highly fertile."
"Okay, like I said, we don't have to do anything." He sat up, checking that his pants were still intact and looking for her shirt.
"Jacobi…" She pulled him back down. "Actually, um, I was going to uh… talk to my mom about going on the pill." Noted the expression on his face. "It's really hard to keep secrets in my family… especially on the sex subject given our family's history."
"And the history?" He fixed his eyes on her face and waited. He was liking this less and less the more they talked about it.
"My biological mother only had sex once in her life. She died in childbirth. My mom gets pregnant pretty much whenever my dad feels like it. My aunt Iz… poor thing..." Kathy took a breath. "I know the risks, Jacobi but I want this. I want to be with you."
"I don't know." He wrapped a dark curl around his finger and took a breath. "I don't want anything to happen and… it'll change everything."
Kathy studied his face as he spoke; he was looking into her face but not into her eyes. "You slept with someone else."
--
Oriel set down the phone and sighed. Dinner was on the table already. Emily was actually sitting there. "Your dad's gonna be late."
"Are you still going tomorrow?" Emily whispered.
"Of course." She didn't sound as sure as she meant to.
"Look… my… hostility has nothing to do with you as a person or what you mean to my dad so much as what you represent to me." Emily cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea. "You and me… we aren't going to be good for a very long time."
"What are you saying?" Oriel maneuvered her body onto a chair and waited.
"I'm letting you know what the deal is. Dad hasn't ever been like this and I know it's important to him that we get along or whatever." Emily nodded to herself. "I'll be out of your hair after next year. Regardless of anything that happens between now and then… I'm going to college, I'm moving out and doing all that freshman stuff."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I don't want you to think that this is how my dad really is… that you thought you knew him and suddenly he's changed. When you marry him tomorrow… you'll marry the same great guy that we both love." Emily's eyes rose to her very soon to be stepmother. "This tough guy, this ain't my dad. He's never talked about his childhood to me. I think he's ashamed but I hear things. Heard his foster situation was a really raw deal. Hear things like he's pretending to be something that he's not."
"What's that?"
"That he's not trailer trash." Emily shrugged. "People are cruel."
Silence hung over the table. Oriel had to wrap her mind around Emily's sudden openness. "What is it that I represent to you?"
"A replacement for the mother I never had."
--
Michael hung back in the entryway of the house and listened to them talk. When that last sentence was uttered, it ripped out his heart. That's what it was all about. Oriel wasn't the replacement for Maria in Emily's eyes… because in Emily's eyes, there never had been a Maria. No mommy. He knew that he had never talked much about her. He had kept her things around. CDs, brushes, funky little knick-knacks until they had gotten broken but a lot of it Amy had in her house. Clothes had been given away, pictures had been put away. Those pictures were up in the Evans attic. Most of what Emily had learned about Maria had probably been through Liz. Shutting the door quietly, he opened it up again and made a lot of noise entering the house.
--
Liz watched Max fidget all through dinner. The kids had taken one look at him and kept quiet about it. His fingers were poised over his mouth as if he had a cigarette there. His leg kept bouncing up and down and his dinner had to be ice-cold. It was a welcome distraction when Davey had climbed into Max's lap and planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. Kathy and Bethany had stifled giggles and Danny managed to keep his to a smirk. All faded when Max had simply kissed Davey's forehead and set him back on the ground. Soon enough though, the kids finished their dinner and were excused from the table leaving Max still staring at something between his nose and his plate.
Liz picked up his plate and popped it in the microwave but didn't push any buttons yet. "What's going on, Max?"
"What?" He snapped his head up to look at her, furrowed his brow and then looked around the table. "Where are the kids?"
"Upstairs… getting ready for bed and doing homework… because unlike you… they ate their dinner." Liz pointed out.
"I ate… didn't I?" Max glanced down and his plate was gone.
"It's in the microwave. You can heat it up later." Liz walked around the table and sat in his lap. "Do you want to tell me what's got your mind in a whirl?"
"I'm worried." He laid his head on her shoulder and gripped her body loosely, he was so tired.
"What about?"
"The… stuff going on. You know." He sighed heavily. "Maybe I made a big mistake."
"What kind of mistake?" She turned his face upward and he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"A couple of days ago, I went to the FBI."
"You what?" Liz sprang off his lap.
"I didn't have any other choice. What am I supposed to do? Let them come in and take us all away?" Max sagged lower in his chair.
"What did you do? Max, what did you do?" Liz hugged herself and she couldn't fight the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I laid down a threat."
"What are you going to do? Take them all on?" She couldn't feel her knees anymore and then she realized she had sunk to the ground. "Max, how could you do this? It's too dangerous."
"What are we supposed to do, Liz? Huh? Let them come in and destroy our lives? Run, maybe?" Max rose to his feet. "I had to do something. I have to keep our lives from falling apart. I have worked too long and hard all my life to make sure we were safe. I'm not going to let them come in now and rip it all apart."
"It was stupid, Max. You went right to them, probably gave yourself away." Liz couldn't get up, she was too angry at him. "They were only watching us. Now they know it is us. How could you do this? To me, to your kids. Your sister? Your best friend? It's not just you. It's all of us."
"Don't you think I know that? I can't let them rule our lives. I have to take control. I have to make them see that they can't do it again. Not to me, you, the kids or anyone else."
"Don't you see? This time it's not going to be the White Room. This time it's going to be execution. There are too many of us now and they aren't going to settle for experimentation. They're going to come in and destroy us all because they can't control us." She found her legs again and stood up. "What makes you think that they'll take you seriously? What makes you think that you can take care of this all by yourself?"
"Because if I don't think I can, I won't be able to. If they so much as take a hair sample, there will be hell to pay." Max let the anger fill him. It felt good. "I will not allow anyone to get in the way of this family. If I have to hunt each and every one down, I will. I will do it because they cannot just rip us up by the roots and do what they want."
"Then go. I won't let you endanger us anymore. I can't believe you went to them. We have to leave now."
"No! We stay put. They will not scare us off. We don't back off this time."
--
Isabel kissed her son's forehead and tried to blink back the tears. She cleared her throat of a sob as she pushed his hair off his face. She nearly screamed when he spoke. "What'd they get?"
"What I said they would… the next year and a half in juvenile hall and six months in penal facility." Isabel nodded and bit her lip. "How did you do today?"
"Good. I'm bored out of my mind though." He sighed and shut his eyes again. "Don't let me take anymore aspirin. It's really starting to get to me."
"Okay." She nodded. "How's the homework coming?"
"Got maybe half of it done. I'm just so bored."
"Write me a song then."
"Oh, like I can just make one up off the top of my head." He opened his eyes and glared at her.
"I think it might take you a while. It might keep you busy."
"I only have one hand."
"Then it'll take three times as long." She kissed his forehead again. "Goodnight."
"Mom, did you tell the munchkins to keep out of here?" Alex cleared his throat.
"Didn't want them to disturb you or accidentally hurt you more." She tilted her head at him. He was forever yelling at them to leave him alone and here he was asking for their presence.
"Let them disturb me." He let his head fall against his pillow.
"Okay. Just make sure you're getting rest." She shut the door and made it down the hallway to her own room. Kyle was shedding his uniform. "Am I a bad mother?"
"What?" Kyle blinked at her, his blue eyes filled with confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"It's my fault."
"Oh." Kyle winced. "It's not your fault. Those kids were jerks."
"I don't look like a mom?" Isabel studied her reflection. She couldn't remember the last time she really looked in a mirror. In high school, the mirror had been her best friend but she honestly could not remember the last time she consciously looked in the mirror at herself.
"Sorry, sweetie." Kyle pulled her down on to the bed. "Don't be ashamed that you look so good. Have you seen some of the beasts our friends in high school have turned into?"
Isabel snorted in an effort to keep from laughing. Her good mood faded quickly. "Kyle, I don't put any effort into how I look."
"And you're still beautiful."
"Which is my point." She sighed and leaned back into his arms. "Someone asked me if I was still in college the other day."
"So."
"So… I'm in my thirties, Kyle. What am I going to look like when Alex brings his kids to meet grandma? Huh? I'm not going to be the gray-haired old lady that my parents' parents were. I'm not going to look how my mother looked even when we were in high school." Tears filled her eyes suddenly. "When you start looking like your dad… I'll still be like this."
"Somehow, I doubt it. Look at Max."
"Max is a lazy bum who smokes and—"
"You know he works out. He's got a fatherly gut, which I have managed to avoid so far." Kyle laughed when she smiled. He turned her face so he could see her eyes. "If I am 80 years old and you still look even 20 years younger… I will count myself lucky. I'll have the best sex life in the retirement community." That sent them both into snickers. "And at least you don't have any of the gray that Max does."
"Sometimes I wish I did. Like today… I was sitting in that room and when they read his statement, all eyes were on me. Like it was my fault. Like I should be ashamed of myself for being pretty or for allowing my son to be hurt so bad. Like I had done something to deserve it." The tears filled her eyes.
"You don’t pay any attention to them. You and I know there was nothing we could do. This happened on school property. The school has to deal with it. They're locking down kids with free hour in the lounge. No one's allowed outside anymore. Robby and the other boys realized too late that they can't get away with it anymore." Kyle took a breath. "There are always boys like them. I was friends with them in high school. You remember what they did to Max." Isabel nodded and turned in his arms. "We can't help the way other people are. We just have to protect what we have and not be afraid to be proud of ourselves." He smiled at her. "I've got the prettiest wife in town and I wouldn't trade her for the world."
--
"Mom?" Liz wiped at her eyes and turned back to the door she was about to close.
"Yeah, sweetie?" She pushed the door open, then at the look on Kathy's face, shut the door and sat on the bed. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
"For?"
"It's my fault. If I hadn't been out there, then maybe."
"No." Liz stopped her daughter's words. "No. Even if you hadn't been out there, they still would have been. It's better that we know."
--
Len turned up the volume on the Evans speaker. He had heard the fight earlier but didn't know what to make of it. This was a little more interesting. "It's better that we know."
"But—"
"No buts. This isn't your fault. It was bound to happen eventually."
"I don't want you and Daddy to fight."
"That especially isn't your fault."
Len waited and wished he had gone ahead and put the video on in the Evans house.
"Honey, what's wrong? You were really quiet at dinner… even given Daddy's mood."
"I know. I know… If I tell you something, promise not to jump to the wrong conclusion."
"That depends on what you tell me."
"It's just that Jacobi and I were discussing… intimacy."
"Is that so."
"We haven't done anything, Mom. We were discussing it…"
"No."
"What?"
"You and Mr. Wilson will not be having sex."
Len scribbled the name down and began to tune out the conversation for a bit while he looked up the kid.
"Would you let me finish? We were talking about it and when I told him about us being so… He backed off… and then he told me that he had been with someone else. How in the world he managed to escape the ever-reaching claws of the gossip mill, I'll never know but… Mom, he got her pregnant."
"Jacobi has a baby?"
"No. Her parents took care of it and moved her away."
"Oh."
"He's never pushed me, Mom… and he won't. I just… I'm not sure how to deal with the information."
"Sweetie, I know you really care about him and you've already told him about us."
Len's ears pricked up and turned the volume back up.
"But… I don't want you to get hurt."
"I love him, Mom. He loves me. I see it every time I kiss him. He loves me so much he doesn't know what to do."
"I hope that's true. I really do. Just... I'm really glad you decided to keep him but things are escalating now and with these people looking into us… don't do anything. Understand? We can't afford for anything to go wrong just now. No powers and be careful where you kiss him. If things… escalate for you two, there will be glowing and it will be hard to control."
Glowing? Len dialed the number and waited for the gruff voice to answer before he turned down the volume. "Look, boss. I've been picking up on some interesting conversations. Nothing incriminating but I think they know I've been poking around."
"Do they know it's you?"
"Of course not."
"Good, now what are you so excited about?"
"Evans, he's been talking to the FBI. A white room was mentioned. They think that the government is after them to make an execution or something. This is definitely involving everyone in the family." Len looked over his notes. "I also got the sister talking about aging process, she thinks hers isn't normal or something. Like I said, nothing incriminating… just all very interesting."
"You really think he went to the FBI?"
"Yeah. I know he's been there but I don't know what he told them or what they told him."
"Don’t let them get wind of this. I already had them breathing down my back."
"Know anything about 'glowing'?"
"Glowing."
"Never mind. I'll look into it." Len sighed. "Gonna need some cash to look into the boyfriend."
"Yeah, okay. I'll wire some in. You're finally making progress then?"
"So long as they don't find out I'm watching them or that I've got bugs in the houses, yeah."
"Good. Good. Maybe we'll get some answers soon."
TBC
Whoa... Part 68 out of 102 posted... but don't worry there's still lots more story.
Part 69
The Fate of Destiny Part 69
Liz sat with her cup of coffee at the table while everyone rushed around getting ready for school. Her mind was whirling. It was too much. Max had left sometime during the night for work. Danny had taken on the task of breakfast fairly early but no one seemed to be eating. Bethany had been walking around with her father's suspicious face. Davey was playing on the staircase in unusual silence. Kathy seemed to be taking her time descending the stairs. There was only one thing that Liz could do and that was to take it one subject at a time.
Kathy walked into the kitchen and picked at the plate of scrambled eggs on the counter. She, like her siblings, had noted the subdued air in the house of Evans and she really didn't want to talk about it. "Morning."
"Morning." Liz whispered and took a breath. "I've made a decision."
"About?"
"You and Jacobi."
Kathy turned to face her mother slowly. "How's that?"
"I can't control you. Your brother is proof enough of that. Although in comparison to other children, I've got a good bunch… you two are reaching that point where holding on does more harm than good. I… will have to impress some rules." Liz set down her coffee. "I realize that you and Jacobi will have to work through this… rift together and I'll have no final say in what you do."
"Mom?"
"I'm not going to help you, Kathy." Liz clasped her hands together. "I was too young when I got pregnant. You are still much younger than that. While I can now appreciate all I have and have worked for… I'll be damned if you have to go through the same thing."
"Mom?"
"Hold on. I'm getting to the point." Another deep breath and weary shake of the head. "If you decide to have sex… you will have to be on birth control and on a regimented schedule for the pills…" Liz caught the look of confusion. "I will not get them for you or be the one to monitor your intake. If you decide you need the birth control, you will have to ask your father and he will be the one to make sure you take them correctly."
"So, I can't."
"No, you can… but with my rules. You want to take this step, be willing to handle everything that's going to come with it." Liz breathed out slowly. "As much as I love your father's parents for all they did for us… I'm not going to do the same. If I have to threaten to make the same mistakes my parents made to get my point across, I will. I'm only thinking of you and the kind of future I want you to have."
"And I have no say?" Kathy felt the heat rising in her face, the anger was spilling over.
"You have every say. Just think… really think about it."
--
Max leaned against the wall and crushed the butt of his cigarette under the toe of his shoe. A wave of his hand and all the scent had dissipated. He headed back into the cool walls of the hospital and looked over the charts for the incoming before making the ascent for his rounds. The next couple of hours flew by as he made sure his patients were stable and holding on before surgery or stable and anxiously awaiting his call to leave the recovery ward. His shift ended around noon and all he wanted was to take his little boy and go home for some much needed rest. He swung by the day care and gathered his hungry boy on his way down to the lounge to gather his things. He froze the second he emerged when the trademark suit and glasses caught his eye. Agent Goldblum saw him in the same instant.
"Dr. Evans." Goldblum nodded.
"Agent Goldblum." Max nodded and barely glanced down at his wide-eyed son.
"Is there some place that we can talk?" The agent looked around. "I think there's something we need to discuss."
"The Crashdown. You know where that is?"
"I do."
"Good. I'll meet you there in about ten minutes." Max nodded and made his way out to his car with Davey in tow. "How's it hanging, little man?"
"I'm hungwy. We goin' to see Granpa?"
"We sure are." Max hit the alarm for his car and swooped Davey into the child-seat in the backseat. "And… you can have whatever you want… as long as it's food first."
"Aw man."
"Aw man. Your mom will kick both our butts if she found out you had junk for lunch." Max managed to remain calm for the entire ride to the Crashdown, and even in front of Jeff. The man had given him an odd look when Max had asked if he could watch David for a while but had agreed and taken David into the break room where Nancy was looking over the books. A few minutes later, Goldblum arrived.
Max ushered the man into a booth and waited. Goldblum seemed to have an internal debate after he ordered a coffee. "Dr. Evans, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I want you to know some things before we really get to business. I was supposed to transfer out in 10 days. I've got a fiancée in Houston, we're getting married in three months, she's… we're having a baby. We have plans. They revolved around the transfer."
"Okay." Max wasn't quite sure what to make of that but he waited until the waitress had brought his food before motioning to the agent to continue.
"Dr. Evans, none of my plans are going to happen because you walked into the office the other day. I've thought about what you've said. I've thought about what my superiors have said. I have not come to this decision lightly." Goldblum sighed. "I didn't want to help but I've gotta if I'm to keep my schedule. From what I've seen today… you'll need my help."
"What exactly are you saying, Agent Goldblum?"
"You're being watched, Dr. Evans but not by me or the government."
"Alright then… when the waitress comes by, order something." Max told him and dug into his food. He saw the expression on the agents face. "I see that you're not exactly undercover or anything but in my experience… when two men meet who don't normally speak… if they meet in a restaurant and neither eat, it's a good tip that they aren't there for the food."
"Okay." Goldblum nodded.
"And don't look so serious. We're not supposed to be chatting about national security, now are we? We're just two men having lunch." Max poured Tabasco sauce over his fries and looked up at his companion. "What did you see today?"
"I noticed a man in a car across from the hospital when I arrived. He was just sitting there. When you left, he sat up. He followed you here but he's outside for the moment." Goldblum sighed. "I was supposed to wait for you to contact me for help but I can't wait. If you need the help, I'm to give it but I need to know now, today, if you need it."
Max thought about it as Goldblum waited, ordered and received his food. He watched Jeff and Nancy play with David through the small window in the swinging door. "I know how you feel, Agent Goldblum… do you have a first name?"
"William, people call me Will." The man sighed and picked at his food.
"Will, I've got four kids." Max nodded when Will's head snapped up. "I've got a wife, a mortgage, two cars and my son's Jeep. I've worked damn hard for the last 18 years of my life so that I wouldn't have to worry about what would happen to them. You said that someone followed me here and I believe you. You say that it's not the government and I have one question… If it isn't the government… who is it?"
"That is a good question." Will nodded. "May I call you Max?"
"Sure." Max nodded.
"First thing I'm going to do is insist that you be very careful about what you do and say for the next few days. The ease with which this guy followed you without your knowledge tells me that he's been doing it a while and could be a professional. I may not be undercover as you put it but I do remember a trick or two from the academy." Will paused to taste his food and sip his coffee. "He's got a navy colored Cadillac, he's an older man… Caucasian, medium build. Keep an eye out. If he's as good as I think he is… I'll need you to make sure that he follows you tomorrow while I sweep your house for bugs."
"Shit." Max muttered and sipped his cherry coke. He should have thought of that. They had used cameras before.
"I'm going to put a call in to some unnamed branch of the government and maybe I'll get some story from those guys… if not… you'll need to tell me what I'm getting myself into." Will cleared his throat.
"Daddy!" David came barreling out of the break room. "Can I have ice cweam?"
"Did you eat?" Max eyed his son suspiciously.
"Yes. I eat it all. My chichen nuddets, my forn, and my bikitt." Davey put his hands on his hips.
"And you still want ice cream, huh?" Max leaned down and whispered in his ear, "As long as you tell Mommy that Grandpa gave it to you and not me."
"Yay!" Davey raced for the break room once again and left Max with the federal agent at the booth.
"It's a need to know basis, Max and I personally think I need to know."
"Clear my house and I'll tell you." Max nodded and gave the man an apologetic glance. "You're in this for life, Will. I'm sorry for it."
--
Valenti sat next to his eldest grandson and watched the constant flicker of frames across the screen. "You wanna slow it down a little?"
"There's nothing on." Alex complained and tossed the remote into the old man's lap.
"There's supposed to be a couple of westerns on today." Valenti nodded to himself. "How's the make-up work coming?"
"It's all done."
"Is that right?"
"Yep."
"You hungry?"
"Nope."
"The arm?"
"Not so painful. Head's okay. Clear. The ribs are still sore but I'm healing up pretty good." Alex shrugged. "I'd actually rather be at school than here right now."
"I understand. I remember your dad got hurt playing basketball in high school. He was out for three weeks and he did nothing but watch talk shows all day long the first week. Then he whined for the next two using all the fancy words he'd learned from the TV." Valenti chuckled.
"Did Dad really have it rough… you know… being your son and all?"
"Yeah, yeah he did." He shook his head. "My dad was a cop too but he was a crazy cop. Made my life hell. Then I was a cop and it made Kyle's life hell…"
"I'm not gonna be a cop."
"I know."
"It's not that I don't like it but I can't see people taking me seriously as a cop." Alex shook his head.
"It's okay. We won't hold it against you." Valenti laughed and turned to look at his grandson. "I know it's rough kiddo and I know you kids don't know what you want to do besides leave home but it never gets easier."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"No problem."
"Westerns suck."
"You couldn’t find anything to watch. It's my turn."
"Man…"
--
Goldblum parked down the street and then parked himself on the side of the Evans house with a computer. He typed command after command and then pulled an antenna out of his bag. The computer worked steadily until he could find eight signals. Examining the house, he made a decision and looped the feed from the kitchen for five minutes. It took almost no time to break into the house and set up in the kitchen. He found that camera easy enough and he could guess at the locations of the other three. The four audios would take some looking and now he had that luxury of stealth.
By the time that Mrs. Evans entered the house with the young daughter, he had all the equipment sitting on the table. She took one look at her husband, the electronics' store on the table and the federal agent drinking coffee out of her mug and rushed from the room to her bedroom.
"Daddy?" Bethany looked from man to man. "What's going on?"
"It's okay, sweetie. Go do your homework." Max told her.
"It's Friday. I don't have any." She tilted her head at him. "Who's that man?"
"Beth, this is Agent Goldblum. He's going to be around the house for a while." Max nodded to the man and Beth just crossed her arms. "Go play."
She huffed and rushed off and up the stairs. Goldblum gave Max a look and returned to his computer. "You seem to have that effect on the women in your life."
"Two down, one to go. Let's see if I can manage to go three for three." Max muttered and leaned over the computer. "So you can tell where the signal was going?"
"Sure. I just have to reactivate these suckers." Goldblum muttered and picked up a camera. "See this. It was not turned on in the children's room. I mean, the video wasn't. Whoever is doing this doesn't want to be slapped with unwanted charges should he get caught."
"How long do you think they were in place?"
"Not too long. Dust was minimal." Gripping the camera, he typed in a command and the video turned on and then off again. "When was the last time that everyone was out of the house?"
"Could be most days between eight and three." Max shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen… I have to talk to my wife and then my kids…"
"No problem. Do what you have to do. I just need an outlet and a quiet place to use the phone." Goldblum picked up his cell. "I have to leave this laptop here so that I don't disrupt the signal that tells our guy that your house is still empty."
--
Emily tried once again to pull Danny towards the bed but he resisted. He stopped her roving hands and backed away. "You are so trying to get me killed."
"Why do you say that?" She nipped at his neck before returning to his mouth.
"Your dad is going to be home soon and if he catches me in here… he'll kill me." Danny tried unsuccessfully to extract himself again. "Em, come on… you know I want to… I want nothing better than to let you have your way but your father scares me."
"Fine. Let's go downstairs. I wouldn't want to tempt him into grounding me or anything." Em groaned and opened her door. "He's been on a real rampage lately."
"And I’m sure it's all your dad and you never provoke him." Danny narrowed his eyes at her and then at her glare, backed away. "I'm not siding with him… I'm just saying that you like to push his buttons."
"I'm gonna go see Alex tonight. You coming?" She quickly changed the subject when she dragged him downstairs.
"Actually, I was thinking we should take him out. You know? Get him out of the house. You know how Aunt Iz is." Danny had just taken a seat in the kitchen when the door opened and Oriel walked in. "Hey."
"Where's Dad?" Emily cleared her throat.
"Getting a bag from the car. We had a detour after the court house." Oriel bit at her lip and waited.
"Congratulations." Emily whispered.
"Hey yeah, Mrs. Guerin." Danny piped up. "How does it feel to be a married woman?"
"I'll let you know after things settle down." She smiled and leaned on the doorframe, hands resting on her stomach. "Which probably won't be for another 18 years."
"My lovely wife." Michael's voice boomed as he entered the house. "My offspring." He nodded to his daughter and set the bag of baby things down. Then his gaze shifted to the boy. "Ah, the future son-in-law. Sorry but you're going to have to leave. I'm cooking my family dinner and you're not invited."
"That's my cue." Danny waved to the group and made for the door. "Congrats… and all that…"
--
Len tapped the screen and checked the signals but the Evans house remained empty. He was going to have to go in there and make sure they were working correctly.
--
Danny walked into the house to find a federal agent on the phone in the living room, Davey turning somersaults in the den, Bethany painting her nails at the coffee table, Kathy glaring their mother, their mother nursing what smelt like a mixed drink and their father standing with the back door open with a cigarette in his hand and the butts of several others in an ashtray. "Hi?"
"Hi sweetie." Liz managed a small smile for him.
"Did I miss something?" He shrugged out of his jacket.
"Oh, didn't you meet Agent Goldblum?" Liz's smile was way too bright and Danny could see his father bristle at her tone. "Apparently we trust the government now."
"Liz, just stop. I'm taking care of it." Max shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Taking care of it. Yes, because this is a typical Friday night in our house." Liz poured her drink down the sink and cradled her head in her hands.
"I'm getting results. Now I don't have to worry that some creep is watching us when we make love, or possibly watching our teenage daughter when she's getting dressed… or how about the juicy tidbits when I'm talking to my sister on the phone about how well her son's bones are mending on an alien scale." Max's voice never rose but the anger was ever increasing. "It was the only option I had and it's working for us. That poor man in there could be in Texas getting ready to be a husband and a father. He didn't have to offer to help but he's risking his life so that ours will be safe."
"You should have consulted everyone first."
"There was no time." Same even, soft yet angry tone. "I'm not arguing with you anymore, Liz. I'm taking care of it. You think I'm not thinking of everyone involved but I am. I've done nothing but think about it and now that something's being done, it can finally be over."
"How the hell do you figure that leaving everyone in the dark is better?" Liz walked right up to him and glared him full on in the face. "How do you figure, exactly, that your sister doesn't deserve to know your plans? Or your friend?"
"Shut up and listen a moment and I'll tell you." Max waved his hand over the ashtray and the butts vaporized. He shut the door and turned to everyone in the room. "I'm doing it this way because my sister has an injured child to worry about. She's running her own law firm under intense scrutiny from men twice her age. I'm doing it this way because my friend got married today, he's got a baby on the way. It's enough for anyone and they don't need this."
"You're under review from the medical board. Your wife can't look at you without getting angry. You've got four children, two of which are rebelling. What exactly makes you more able to handle this?" Liz scoffed at him. "If you're so insistent on not worrying them… why don’t you talk to the rest of the people in this house? Did you think we weren't going to notice an employee of the federal government working out of the living room?"
"You're not listening." Max told her and pointed to the table. "Sit. All of you." It took a moment for the three to comply. He took a breath and leaned on a chair. "I would do anything for any of you… including going to the government for help but we need it. Imagine my surprise when we got our very own MiB to help us. We have government sanction to go after whoever is watching us. I've cleared our house. By Monday all of the houses should be clean. By next Friday… I fully expect to have in my presence the man or men making us be this way."
"Daddy?" The small voice came from behind him. Bethany stepped further into the room. "What's an M. I. B.?"
--
"No turning back now, Agent." The low voice spoke over the phone and Goldblum found himself waiting for the information. "I can't give you numbers but the population of aliens on this planet far exceeds the small community you've got there in Roswell."
"Aliens."
"Yes. Aliens. Multiple varieties. The leader of the lot in Roswell is very suspicious. He's desperate to have gone to you for help. Max Evans, Doctor. Age 36. Deposed and reincarnated King of Antar. He is a Human/Antarian hybrid. Married to a Human. Their kids, with the exception of the elder girl, are more human and less Antarian."
"What's different about the older girl?" Goldblum had the urge to take notes but knew it wouldn't be a good idea.
"I'm a bastard. Sh." Kathy whispered from the entryway. "Is there a female form of that?" She shrugged and disappeared up the stairs.
"The elder girl is the daughter of his majesty Dr. Evans and the reincarnated Queen of Antar… one… Tess Harding. Details are fuzzy there but she died in childbirth and the offspring raised by the Human wife. Now. The other aliens that you may come in contact with are what are called Skins. Those fall into two categories. Good and Bad; to be determined by interrogation. One way to kill is to compromise the husk, as it were, on the left lower back just beside the hip. There are a few Shapeshifters wandering about. Forget trying to attack them. You'll die. One to note is a Mr. Kal Langley. He's the main source of information for this particular batch of Antarians. He is indeed the movie producer and would appreciate being left out in conversations. There are also what we call puppets. Not a race exactly but few Humans are capable of becoming puppets and used to communicate the galactic news to our royal friends."
"How can you be so blasé about aliens?"
"It's all very fascinating, Goldblum, but there are bigger fish to fry than the murdered, deposed and absent King of Antar. Now, Dr. Evans and the Special Investigations Unit have an unfortunate past. We were much more ignorant then than we are now that Mr. Langley has corrected us. To prevent an interstellar war, just aid Dr. Evans in this endeavor and don't file a report. The United States' official position… if there were a public position on the matter… is to remain Switzerland if you catch my drift."
"Yes sir."
"Dr. Evans will fill you in on his specific abilities if he sees fit. We are not up to speed on those aspects of Antarian hybrids… nor the variation among them." Click.
"Thank you." Goldblum looked up to find Max standing in the entryway with a plate of food. "Got a minute?"
"Sure." Max set the food down and motioned for the agent to eat. "What's the confusion?"
"He was a bit cryptic."
"A bit?" Max had to laugh. "I'm sure he was."
"Skins. Antarians. Shapeshifters."
"Yes, yes. All very fascinating I'm sure." Max rose to his feet and glanced back into the kitchen where Danny and Liz were eating and not speaking.
"Um…" Goldblum cleared his throat. "Your daughter was listening in when I was told about her… circumstances. You let her know?"
"Will, let me tell you… it's one thing to have a secret but to have one in this family is impossible." He let loose a dry laugh. "The kids have varying degrees of clairvoyance and precognition and retro-cognition… it'd be impossible to keep it from them. In her case, she has eyes."
"Pardon?"
"Eyes. She has them and in her case, they're blue."
Goldblum had to think about it and then it clicked. Light brown plus dark brown do not blue make. "She's well adjusted."
"Now. The kids all have their problems. Danny is so much more open than I was in high school but he can't play football, basketball or soccer. Kathy has to deal with the rumors of her creation. Bethany has inherited her mother's looks and my disposition. Davey… is entirely too intuitive and I believe he gets that from his mother." Max sighed heavily and motioned for the man to eat. "It seems like a lot. I know but it's nothing to worry about. The kids are well behaved. We've warned them about slipping up, what exposure could mean… although, that was with the belief the government was still hunting us."
"Actually, as difficult as it is for me to believe… the men with the real power don't want to get hurt as a result of you missing from the intergalactic hierarchy." The wheels had been turning since the beginning of that phone call. He was never going to get out of this. His promotion would put him in an early grave. "Can I ask what an alien king is doing practicing medicine on Earth?"
TBC
Liz sat with her cup of coffee at the table while everyone rushed around getting ready for school. Her mind was whirling. It was too much. Max had left sometime during the night for work. Danny had taken on the task of breakfast fairly early but no one seemed to be eating. Bethany had been walking around with her father's suspicious face. Davey was playing on the staircase in unusual silence. Kathy seemed to be taking her time descending the stairs. There was only one thing that Liz could do and that was to take it one subject at a time.
Kathy walked into the kitchen and picked at the plate of scrambled eggs on the counter. She, like her siblings, had noted the subdued air in the house of Evans and she really didn't want to talk about it. "Morning."
"Morning." Liz whispered and took a breath. "I've made a decision."
"About?"
"You and Jacobi."
Kathy turned to face her mother slowly. "How's that?"
"I can't control you. Your brother is proof enough of that. Although in comparison to other children, I've got a good bunch… you two are reaching that point where holding on does more harm than good. I… will have to impress some rules." Liz set down her coffee. "I realize that you and Jacobi will have to work through this… rift together and I'll have no final say in what you do."
"Mom?"
"I'm not going to help you, Kathy." Liz clasped her hands together. "I was too young when I got pregnant. You are still much younger than that. While I can now appreciate all I have and have worked for… I'll be damned if you have to go through the same thing."
"Mom?"
"Hold on. I'm getting to the point." Another deep breath and weary shake of the head. "If you decide to have sex… you will have to be on birth control and on a regimented schedule for the pills…" Liz caught the look of confusion. "I will not get them for you or be the one to monitor your intake. If you decide you need the birth control, you will have to ask your father and he will be the one to make sure you take them correctly."
"So, I can't."
"No, you can… but with my rules. You want to take this step, be willing to handle everything that's going to come with it." Liz breathed out slowly. "As much as I love your father's parents for all they did for us… I'm not going to do the same. If I have to threaten to make the same mistakes my parents made to get my point across, I will. I'm only thinking of you and the kind of future I want you to have."
"And I have no say?" Kathy felt the heat rising in her face, the anger was spilling over.
"You have every say. Just think… really think about it."
--
Max leaned against the wall and crushed the butt of his cigarette under the toe of his shoe. A wave of his hand and all the scent had dissipated. He headed back into the cool walls of the hospital and looked over the charts for the incoming before making the ascent for his rounds. The next couple of hours flew by as he made sure his patients were stable and holding on before surgery or stable and anxiously awaiting his call to leave the recovery ward. His shift ended around noon and all he wanted was to take his little boy and go home for some much needed rest. He swung by the day care and gathered his hungry boy on his way down to the lounge to gather his things. He froze the second he emerged when the trademark suit and glasses caught his eye. Agent Goldblum saw him in the same instant.
"Dr. Evans." Goldblum nodded.
"Agent Goldblum." Max nodded and barely glanced down at his wide-eyed son.
"Is there some place that we can talk?" The agent looked around. "I think there's something we need to discuss."
"The Crashdown. You know where that is?"
"I do."
"Good. I'll meet you there in about ten minutes." Max nodded and made his way out to his car with Davey in tow. "How's it hanging, little man?"
"I'm hungwy. We goin' to see Granpa?"
"We sure are." Max hit the alarm for his car and swooped Davey into the child-seat in the backseat. "And… you can have whatever you want… as long as it's food first."
"Aw man."
"Aw man. Your mom will kick both our butts if she found out you had junk for lunch." Max managed to remain calm for the entire ride to the Crashdown, and even in front of Jeff. The man had given him an odd look when Max had asked if he could watch David for a while but had agreed and taken David into the break room where Nancy was looking over the books. A few minutes later, Goldblum arrived.
Max ushered the man into a booth and waited. Goldblum seemed to have an internal debate after he ordered a coffee. "Dr. Evans, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I want you to know some things before we really get to business. I was supposed to transfer out in 10 days. I've got a fiancée in Houston, we're getting married in three months, she's… we're having a baby. We have plans. They revolved around the transfer."
"Okay." Max wasn't quite sure what to make of that but he waited until the waitress had brought his food before motioning to the agent to continue.
"Dr. Evans, none of my plans are going to happen because you walked into the office the other day. I've thought about what you've said. I've thought about what my superiors have said. I have not come to this decision lightly." Goldblum sighed. "I didn't want to help but I've gotta if I'm to keep my schedule. From what I've seen today… you'll need my help."
"What exactly are you saying, Agent Goldblum?"
"You're being watched, Dr. Evans but not by me or the government."
"Alright then… when the waitress comes by, order something." Max told him and dug into his food. He saw the expression on the agents face. "I see that you're not exactly undercover or anything but in my experience… when two men meet who don't normally speak… if they meet in a restaurant and neither eat, it's a good tip that they aren't there for the food."
"Okay." Goldblum nodded.
"And don't look so serious. We're not supposed to be chatting about national security, now are we? We're just two men having lunch." Max poured Tabasco sauce over his fries and looked up at his companion. "What did you see today?"
"I noticed a man in a car across from the hospital when I arrived. He was just sitting there. When you left, he sat up. He followed you here but he's outside for the moment." Goldblum sighed. "I was supposed to wait for you to contact me for help but I can't wait. If you need the help, I'm to give it but I need to know now, today, if you need it."
Max thought about it as Goldblum waited, ordered and received his food. He watched Jeff and Nancy play with David through the small window in the swinging door. "I know how you feel, Agent Goldblum… do you have a first name?"
"William, people call me Will." The man sighed and picked at his food.
"Will, I've got four kids." Max nodded when Will's head snapped up. "I've got a wife, a mortgage, two cars and my son's Jeep. I've worked damn hard for the last 18 years of my life so that I wouldn't have to worry about what would happen to them. You said that someone followed me here and I believe you. You say that it's not the government and I have one question… If it isn't the government… who is it?"
"That is a good question." Will nodded. "May I call you Max?"
"Sure." Max nodded.
"First thing I'm going to do is insist that you be very careful about what you do and say for the next few days. The ease with which this guy followed you without your knowledge tells me that he's been doing it a while and could be a professional. I may not be undercover as you put it but I do remember a trick or two from the academy." Will paused to taste his food and sip his coffee. "He's got a navy colored Cadillac, he's an older man… Caucasian, medium build. Keep an eye out. If he's as good as I think he is… I'll need you to make sure that he follows you tomorrow while I sweep your house for bugs."
"Shit." Max muttered and sipped his cherry coke. He should have thought of that. They had used cameras before.
"I'm going to put a call in to some unnamed branch of the government and maybe I'll get some story from those guys… if not… you'll need to tell me what I'm getting myself into." Will cleared his throat.
"Daddy!" David came barreling out of the break room. "Can I have ice cweam?"
"Did you eat?" Max eyed his son suspiciously.
"Yes. I eat it all. My chichen nuddets, my forn, and my bikitt." Davey put his hands on his hips.
"And you still want ice cream, huh?" Max leaned down and whispered in his ear, "As long as you tell Mommy that Grandpa gave it to you and not me."
"Yay!" Davey raced for the break room once again and left Max with the federal agent at the booth.
"It's a need to know basis, Max and I personally think I need to know."
"Clear my house and I'll tell you." Max nodded and gave the man an apologetic glance. "You're in this for life, Will. I'm sorry for it."
--
Valenti sat next to his eldest grandson and watched the constant flicker of frames across the screen. "You wanna slow it down a little?"
"There's nothing on." Alex complained and tossed the remote into the old man's lap.
"There's supposed to be a couple of westerns on today." Valenti nodded to himself. "How's the make-up work coming?"
"It's all done."
"Is that right?"
"Yep."
"You hungry?"
"Nope."
"The arm?"
"Not so painful. Head's okay. Clear. The ribs are still sore but I'm healing up pretty good." Alex shrugged. "I'd actually rather be at school than here right now."
"I understand. I remember your dad got hurt playing basketball in high school. He was out for three weeks and he did nothing but watch talk shows all day long the first week. Then he whined for the next two using all the fancy words he'd learned from the TV." Valenti chuckled.
"Did Dad really have it rough… you know… being your son and all?"
"Yeah, yeah he did." He shook his head. "My dad was a cop too but he was a crazy cop. Made my life hell. Then I was a cop and it made Kyle's life hell…"
"I'm not gonna be a cop."
"I know."
"It's not that I don't like it but I can't see people taking me seriously as a cop." Alex shook his head.
"It's okay. We won't hold it against you." Valenti laughed and turned to look at his grandson. "I know it's rough kiddo and I know you kids don't know what you want to do besides leave home but it never gets easier."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"No problem."
"Westerns suck."
"You couldn’t find anything to watch. It's my turn."
"Man…"
--
Goldblum parked down the street and then parked himself on the side of the Evans house with a computer. He typed command after command and then pulled an antenna out of his bag. The computer worked steadily until he could find eight signals. Examining the house, he made a decision and looped the feed from the kitchen for five minutes. It took almost no time to break into the house and set up in the kitchen. He found that camera easy enough and he could guess at the locations of the other three. The four audios would take some looking and now he had that luxury of stealth.
By the time that Mrs. Evans entered the house with the young daughter, he had all the equipment sitting on the table. She took one look at her husband, the electronics' store on the table and the federal agent drinking coffee out of her mug and rushed from the room to her bedroom.
"Daddy?" Bethany looked from man to man. "What's going on?"
"It's okay, sweetie. Go do your homework." Max told her.
"It's Friday. I don't have any." She tilted her head at him. "Who's that man?"
"Beth, this is Agent Goldblum. He's going to be around the house for a while." Max nodded to the man and Beth just crossed her arms. "Go play."
She huffed and rushed off and up the stairs. Goldblum gave Max a look and returned to his computer. "You seem to have that effect on the women in your life."
"Two down, one to go. Let's see if I can manage to go three for three." Max muttered and leaned over the computer. "So you can tell where the signal was going?"
"Sure. I just have to reactivate these suckers." Goldblum muttered and picked up a camera. "See this. It was not turned on in the children's room. I mean, the video wasn't. Whoever is doing this doesn't want to be slapped with unwanted charges should he get caught."
"How long do you think they were in place?"
"Not too long. Dust was minimal." Gripping the camera, he typed in a command and the video turned on and then off again. "When was the last time that everyone was out of the house?"
"Could be most days between eight and three." Max shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen… I have to talk to my wife and then my kids…"
"No problem. Do what you have to do. I just need an outlet and a quiet place to use the phone." Goldblum picked up his cell. "I have to leave this laptop here so that I don't disrupt the signal that tells our guy that your house is still empty."
--
Emily tried once again to pull Danny towards the bed but he resisted. He stopped her roving hands and backed away. "You are so trying to get me killed."
"Why do you say that?" She nipped at his neck before returning to his mouth.
"Your dad is going to be home soon and if he catches me in here… he'll kill me." Danny tried unsuccessfully to extract himself again. "Em, come on… you know I want to… I want nothing better than to let you have your way but your father scares me."
"Fine. Let's go downstairs. I wouldn't want to tempt him into grounding me or anything." Em groaned and opened her door. "He's been on a real rampage lately."
"And I’m sure it's all your dad and you never provoke him." Danny narrowed his eyes at her and then at her glare, backed away. "I'm not siding with him… I'm just saying that you like to push his buttons."
"I'm gonna go see Alex tonight. You coming?" She quickly changed the subject when she dragged him downstairs.
"Actually, I was thinking we should take him out. You know? Get him out of the house. You know how Aunt Iz is." Danny had just taken a seat in the kitchen when the door opened and Oriel walked in. "Hey."
"Where's Dad?" Emily cleared her throat.
"Getting a bag from the car. We had a detour after the court house." Oriel bit at her lip and waited.
"Congratulations." Emily whispered.
"Hey yeah, Mrs. Guerin." Danny piped up. "How does it feel to be a married woman?"
"I'll let you know after things settle down." She smiled and leaned on the doorframe, hands resting on her stomach. "Which probably won't be for another 18 years."
"My lovely wife." Michael's voice boomed as he entered the house. "My offspring." He nodded to his daughter and set the bag of baby things down. Then his gaze shifted to the boy. "Ah, the future son-in-law. Sorry but you're going to have to leave. I'm cooking my family dinner and you're not invited."
"That's my cue." Danny waved to the group and made for the door. "Congrats… and all that…"
--
Len tapped the screen and checked the signals but the Evans house remained empty. He was going to have to go in there and make sure they were working correctly.
--
Danny walked into the house to find a federal agent on the phone in the living room, Davey turning somersaults in the den, Bethany painting her nails at the coffee table, Kathy glaring their mother, their mother nursing what smelt like a mixed drink and their father standing with the back door open with a cigarette in his hand and the butts of several others in an ashtray. "Hi?"
"Hi sweetie." Liz managed a small smile for him.
"Did I miss something?" He shrugged out of his jacket.
"Oh, didn't you meet Agent Goldblum?" Liz's smile was way too bright and Danny could see his father bristle at her tone. "Apparently we trust the government now."
"Liz, just stop. I'm taking care of it." Max shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Taking care of it. Yes, because this is a typical Friday night in our house." Liz poured her drink down the sink and cradled her head in her hands.
"I'm getting results. Now I don't have to worry that some creep is watching us when we make love, or possibly watching our teenage daughter when she's getting dressed… or how about the juicy tidbits when I'm talking to my sister on the phone about how well her son's bones are mending on an alien scale." Max's voice never rose but the anger was ever increasing. "It was the only option I had and it's working for us. That poor man in there could be in Texas getting ready to be a husband and a father. He didn't have to offer to help but he's risking his life so that ours will be safe."
"You should have consulted everyone first."
"There was no time." Same even, soft yet angry tone. "I'm not arguing with you anymore, Liz. I'm taking care of it. You think I'm not thinking of everyone involved but I am. I've done nothing but think about it and now that something's being done, it can finally be over."
"How the hell do you figure that leaving everyone in the dark is better?" Liz walked right up to him and glared him full on in the face. "How do you figure, exactly, that your sister doesn't deserve to know your plans? Or your friend?"
"Shut up and listen a moment and I'll tell you." Max waved his hand over the ashtray and the butts vaporized. He shut the door and turned to everyone in the room. "I'm doing it this way because my sister has an injured child to worry about. She's running her own law firm under intense scrutiny from men twice her age. I'm doing it this way because my friend got married today, he's got a baby on the way. It's enough for anyone and they don't need this."
"You're under review from the medical board. Your wife can't look at you without getting angry. You've got four children, two of which are rebelling. What exactly makes you more able to handle this?" Liz scoffed at him. "If you're so insistent on not worrying them… why don’t you talk to the rest of the people in this house? Did you think we weren't going to notice an employee of the federal government working out of the living room?"
"You're not listening." Max told her and pointed to the table. "Sit. All of you." It took a moment for the three to comply. He took a breath and leaned on a chair. "I would do anything for any of you… including going to the government for help but we need it. Imagine my surprise when we got our very own MiB to help us. We have government sanction to go after whoever is watching us. I've cleared our house. By Monday all of the houses should be clean. By next Friday… I fully expect to have in my presence the man or men making us be this way."
"Daddy?" The small voice came from behind him. Bethany stepped further into the room. "What's an M. I. B.?"
--
"No turning back now, Agent." The low voice spoke over the phone and Goldblum found himself waiting for the information. "I can't give you numbers but the population of aliens on this planet far exceeds the small community you've got there in Roswell."
"Aliens."
"Yes. Aliens. Multiple varieties. The leader of the lot in Roswell is very suspicious. He's desperate to have gone to you for help. Max Evans, Doctor. Age 36. Deposed and reincarnated King of Antar. He is a Human/Antarian hybrid. Married to a Human. Their kids, with the exception of the elder girl, are more human and less Antarian."
"What's different about the older girl?" Goldblum had the urge to take notes but knew it wouldn't be a good idea.
"I'm a bastard. Sh." Kathy whispered from the entryway. "Is there a female form of that?" She shrugged and disappeared up the stairs.
"The elder girl is the daughter of his majesty Dr. Evans and the reincarnated Queen of Antar… one… Tess Harding. Details are fuzzy there but she died in childbirth and the offspring raised by the Human wife. Now. The other aliens that you may come in contact with are what are called Skins. Those fall into two categories. Good and Bad; to be determined by interrogation. One way to kill is to compromise the husk, as it were, on the left lower back just beside the hip. There are a few Shapeshifters wandering about. Forget trying to attack them. You'll die. One to note is a Mr. Kal Langley. He's the main source of information for this particular batch of Antarians. He is indeed the movie producer and would appreciate being left out in conversations. There are also what we call puppets. Not a race exactly but few Humans are capable of becoming puppets and used to communicate the galactic news to our royal friends."
"How can you be so blasé about aliens?"
"It's all very fascinating, Goldblum, but there are bigger fish to fry than the murdered, deposed and absent King of Antar. Now, Dr. Evans and the Special Investigations Unit have an unfortunate past. We were much more ignorant then than we are now that Mr. Langley has corrected us. To prevent an interstellar war, just aid Dr. Evans in this endeavor and don't file a report. The United States' official position… if there were a public position on the matter… is to remain Switzerland if you catch my drift."
"Yes sir."
"Dr. Evans will fill you in on his specific abilities if he sees fit. We are not up to speed on those aspects of Antarian hybrids… nor the variation among them." Click.
"Thank you." Goldblum looked up to find Max standing in the entryway with a plate of food. "Got a minute?"
"Sure." Max set the food down and motioned for the agent to eat. "What's the confusion?"
"He was a bit cryptic."
"A bit?" Max had to laugh. "I'm sure he was."
"Skins. Antarians. Shapeshifters."
"Yes, yes. All very fascinating I'm sure." Max rose to his feet and glanced back into the kitchen where Danny and Liz were eating and not speaking.
"Um…" Goldblum cleared his throat. "Your daughter was listening in when I was told about her… circumstances. You let her know?"
"Will, let me tell you… it's one thing to have a secret but to have one in this family is impossible." He let loose a dry laugh. "The kids have varying degrees of clairvoyance and precognition and retro-cognition… it'd be impossible to keep it from them. In her case, she has eyes."
"Pardon?"
"Eyes. She has them and in her case, they're blue."
Goldblum had to think about it and then it clicked. Light brown plus dark brown do not blue make. "She's well adjusted."
"Now. The kids all have their problems. Danny is so much more open than I was in high school but he can't play football, basketball or soccer. Kathy has to deal with the rumors of her creation. Bethany has inherited her mother's looks and my disposition. Davey… is entirely too intuitive and I believe he gets that from his mother." Max sighed heavily and motioned for the man to eat. "It seems like a lot. I know but it's nothing to worry about. The kids are well behaved. We've warned them about slipping up, what exposure could mean… although, that was with the belief the government was still hunting us."
"Actually, as difficult as it is for me to believe… the men with the real power don't want to get hurt as a result of you missing from the intergalactic hierarchy." The wheels had been turning since the beginning of that phone call. He was never going to get out of this. His promotion would put him in an early grave. "Can I ask what an alien king is doing practicing medicine on Earth?"
TBC
Part 70
The Fate of Destiny Part 70
Len waited impatiently as his employer answered the phone. "Thought I told you not to call me."
"Deal's off, mister." Len adjusted his shirt collar.
"What are you talking about?"
"Send the letters, I don't give a fuck. We've been made. None of my surveillance equipment is working, which means someone has found the bugs." Len ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"What do they know?"
"I don't know. If they can trace anything to me, they'll sure as hell trace it to you. I'm out. Deal's off." Len hung up the phone and began erasing his files. He wished he had never heard of Max Evans. Whoever had disrupted the signals knew exactly what they were doing.
--
Michael rubbed a hand over his face. It was a Sunday and Max had some guy searching the house for bugs. Crossing his arms, he turned to his friend. "Who is this guy again?"
"The guy that's going to find our peeping tom." Max played it down as much as he could but he was nervous. Isabel had been so scared, she let them do whatever they wanted. The second Michael woke up, he'd be livid.
"You trust this guy?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I just do." Max shrugged. He turned when Goldblum paused at the top of the stairs. "What's up?"
"Need to get into the girl's room." Goldblum looked to Michael.
"What the hell for?" Michael growled.
"Got a signal from the room. I need to find the bug." Goldblum had the sudden urge to run.
Michael shut his eyes and turned on Max. When he opened his eyes, anger was building in a raging fire. "Signal? There are signals to begin with? I thought you were just checking." His eyes snapped to the man on the stairs. "How many signals?"
"Just four. May I?"
Michael nodded and then turned to Max. "What the hell is going on? Just four? What does that mean?"
"There was a bug in nearly every room in my house." Max tried to placate Michael but it was too late for that. "It's being taken care of."
"What's being taken care of?"
"We'll have the guy within a week."
"We or you?"
"Michael."
"Max! What the hell is going on? Who is that guy?" Michael pointed up the stairs. "We don't need strangers with the Feds poking around."
"He is a Fed." Max admitted and waited for the explosion.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His voice boomed. "You brought a Fed into my house? He's probably the one watching us."
"Stop." Max barked out. He was tired of this. "It's being taken care of. Just go about life like nothing's changed."
"Nothing has changed. You still don’t trust me. I'm not the same little kid that would fly off the handle and do something stupid but you obviously don't think that. I need to know what the hell is going on so I can protect what I got. I need to know." Michael shoved Max against a wall.
"I knew you'd do this but that's not why I did it. You've got enough to worry about. You don't need this too."
"Don't need this? I have this. This is my problem especially when there are bugs in my little girl's room."
"It's not that I don't trust you, Michael. You know I do. We've got this. Agent Goldblum and I are handling this so we don't startle the guy watching. We're going to get him."
"When you leave, you don't get to come back." Michael stormed out of the room.
--
Max settled himself in on the couch. He wasn't going to be able to sleep but he might as well give it a shot. He had put David and Bethany down himself. Danny had to be blaring his music in protest of having to come home right after school the next day and every day until the situation was resolved. He had never figured out why Kathy was mad. Liz had gone to bed, shut the door and turned off the light without so much as a goodnight.
--
Liz picked up the phone to order in. Danny and the girls were home already, David would be coming home with Max in an hour. She just couldn't shake the bad feeling she'd had all day.
--
Max nodded to the day care nurse as he wearily pushed the door open. Confused, she called out. "Dr. Evans?"
"Yeah, Becca?" Max turned.
"What are you doing?" She shook her head at him.
"Picking up David."
"But you took him home hours ago. Remember? He was fussy and didn't want to go." Becca caught on the second the blood drained out of his face. "It was you. I saw you. You forgot your ID."
"Becca, I've been up on the surgical floor all day. Where is David?"
"You picked him up. It was you." She repeated, tears forming.
"He looked like me?" Max reached over the counter and held her shoulders.
"It had to be you."
"I never forget my ID, Becca. I haven't been in here since I dropped him off." Max felt his heart stop as he realized her story was never going to change. It didn't matter that he had been upstairs all day. It didn't matter when the last time he was in the day care. Someone who looked enough like him to fool Becca had taken Danny. "What time, Becca? When did he take my son?"
"Two o'clock."
"Call the cops. Now. Get Sheriff Valenti here." Max reached for the phone next to hers and dialed. "Goldblum, did you get him?"
"I got one Leonard Scott. Not the guy we want but the professional I figured."
"Did he have my son?"
"What?"
"Leonard Scott, does he have my little boy?"
"No, Max, what's happened?"
"Someone who looked like me walked into the hospital and took my little boy. He's got a three hour lead on us." Max couldn't hold in the tears. Having to say it ripped out his heart.
"I'm on it. We'll get him back." Goldblum promised.
Max hung up the phone and dialed home. He squeezed his eyes shut when she answered the phone. "Liz."
"What?" He winced at her tone and couldn't stop the sob. "Max? What happened?" How could he tell her that? It was all his fault. "Max, you're scaring me. What's going on?" He couldn't tell her that. "Where are you? Are you coming home with David soon?" More sobs. "Max! Where's my baby?"
TBC
Blah, blah. 'use the powers for good instead of evil'. Let me tell you, the good know not how to have a good time. I'll see you next week as I've changed my mind about finishing this section before the weekend.
Len waited impatiently as his employer answered the phone. "Thought I told you not to call me."
"Deal's off, mister." Len adjusted his shirt collar.
"What are you talking about?"
"Send the letters, I don't give a fuck. We've been made. None of my surveillance equipment is working, which means someone has found the bugs." Len ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"What do they know?"
"I don't know. If they can trace anything to me, they'll sure as hell trace it to you. I'm out. Deal's off." Len hung up the phone and began erasing his files. He wished he had never heard of Max Evans. Whoever had disrupted the signals knew exactly what they were doing.
--
Michael rubbed a hand over his face. It was a Sunday and Max had some guy searching the house for bugs. Crossing his arms, he turned to his friend. "Who is this guy again?"
"The guy that's going to find our peeping tom." Max played it down as much as he could but he was nervous. Isabel had been so scared, she let them do whatever they wanted. The second Michael woke up, he'd be livid.
"You trust this guy?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I just do." Max shrugged. He turned when Goldblum paused at the top of the stairs. "What's up?"
"Need to get into the girl's room." Goldblum looked to Michael.
"What the hell for?" Michael growled.
"Got a signal from the room. I need to find the bug." Goldblum had the sudden urge to run.
Michael shut his eyes and turned on Max. When he opened his eyes, anger was building in a raging fire. "Signal? There are signals to begin with? I thought you were just checking." His eyes snapped to the man on the stairs. "How many signals?"
"Just four. May I?"
Michael nodded and then turned to Max. "What the hell is going on? Just four? What does that mean?"
"There was a bug in nearly every room in my house." Max tried to placate Michael but it was too late for that. "It's being taken care of."
"What's being taken care of?"
"We'll have the guy within a week."
"We or you?"
"Michael."
"Max! What the hell is going on? Who is that guy?" Michael pointed up the stairs. "We don't need strangers with the Feds poking around."
"He is a Fed." Max admitted and waited for the explosion.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His voice boomed. "You brought a Fed into my house? He's probably the one watching us."
"Stop." Max barked out. He was tired of this. "It's being taken care of. Just go about life like nothing's changed."
"Nothing has changed. You still don’t trust me. I'm not the same little kid that would fly off the handle and do something stupid but you obviously don't think that. I need to know what the hell is going on so I can protect what I got. I need to know." Michael shoved Max against a wall.
"I knew you'd do this but that's not why I did it. You've got enough to worry about. You don't need this too."
"Don't need this? I have this. This is my problem especially when there are bugs in my little girl's room."
"It's not that I don't trust you, Michael. You know I do. We've got this. Agent Goldblum and I are handling this so we don't startle the guy watching. We're going to get him."
"When you leave, you don't get to come back." Michael stormed out of the room.
--
Max settled himself in on the couch. He wasn't going to be able to sleep but he might as well give it a shot. He had put David and Bethany down himself. Danny had to be blaring his music in protest of having to come home right after school the next day and every day until the situation was resolved. He had never figured out why Kathy was mad. Liz had gone to bed, shut the door and turned off the light without so much as a goodnight.
--
Liz picked up the phone to order in. Danny and the girls were home already, David would be coming home with Max in an hour. She just couldn't shake the bad feeling she'd had all day.
--
Max nodded to the day care nurse as he wearily pushed the door open. Confused, she called out. "Dr. Evans?"
"Yeah, Becca?" Max turned.
"What are you doing?" She shook her head at him.
"Picking up David."
"But you took him home hours ago. Remember? He was fussy and didn't want to go." Becca caught on the second the blood drained out of his face. "It was you. I saw you. You forgot your ID."
"Becca, I've been up on the surgical floor all day. Where is David?"
"You picked him up. It was you." She repeated, tears forming.
"He looked like me?" Max reached over the counter and held her shoulders.
"It had to be you."
"I never forget my ID, Becca. I haven't been in here since I dropped him off." Max felt his heart stop as he realized her story was never going to change. It didn't matter that he had been upstairs all day. It didn't matter when the last time he was in the day care. Someone who looked enough like him to fool Becca had taken Danny. "What time, Becca? When did he take my son?"
"Two o'clock."
"Call the cops. Now. Get Sheriff Valenti here." Max reached for the phone next to hers and dialed. "Goldblum, did you get him?"
"I got one Leonard Scott. Not the guy we want but the professional I figured."
"Did he have my son?"
"What?"
"Leonard Scott, does he have my little boy?"
"No, Max, what's happened?"
"Someone who looked like me walked into the hospital and took my little boy. He's got a three hour lead on us." Max couldn't hold in the tears. Having to say it ripped out his heart.
"I'm on it. We'll get him back." Goldblum promised.
Max hung up the phone and dialed home. He squeezed his eyes shut when she answered the phone. "Liz."
"What?" He winced at her tone and couldn't stop the sob. "Max? What happened?" How could he tell her that? It was all his fault. "Max, you're scaring me. What's going on?" He couldn't tell her that. "Where are you? Are you coming home with David soon?" More sobs. "Max! Where's my baby?"
TBC
Blah, blah. 'use the powers for good instead of evil'. Let me tell you, the good know not how to have a good time. I'll see you next week as I've changed my mind about finishing this section before the weekend.
Part 71
The Fate of Destiny Part 71
"Fourth floor, clear!"
"Third floor, clear!"
"Second floor, clear!"
"First floor, clear!"
Max squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his head in his hands. He knew what that meant. It meant that David was not in the building. Kyle suddenly filled his vision. "Max, I'm sorry, he's already gone but we'll find him."
"Dr. Evans. I am so sorry. I should have known when he put up such a fuss." Becca sobbed.
"It's not your fault." Max rose to his feet and turned to his brother-in-law. "Is Liz here?"
"She's waiting to be let in." Kyle patted him on the shoulder. "I got that FBI Agent on a free line. He'll let us know if he finds anything." He gripped his brother-in-law. "Max, we're getting him back. I promise."
Max made the journey down to the lobby where Liz and the kids had just made it through. One look at the patriarch's red rimmed eyes and solemn-ness and they all knew it was real. The baby was really gone. They clung to each other while Kyle gave orders to his men. "Our boy is four years old, he's wearing a blue and green striped shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. Possibly a blue hooded jacket. Our abductor very closely resembles the boy's father. He's six foot one, dark hair, possibly some gray. He was last seen wearing hospital scrubs but could have discarded them at the earliest opportunity. Let's find them."
--
Goldblum laid out every single piece of equipment he had rounded up. "Mr. Scott, who is your employer?"
"I don't know." Len answered, handcuffed to the chair.
"You don't know." Goldblum shook his head. "This guy approaches you, offers you money to investigate Dr. Evans and everyone associated with him, and you don't know who he is?"
"Listen, I get hired for all sorts of jobs. This was no different. The money was wired into my account. I lost interest in his identity when he had dirt on me."
"I need your account number."
"I can't give you that."
"Mr. Scott, I don't even need a warrant for this. You have violated a trust by your participation. I can't even tell you what the punishment will be for your involvement. Your employer, I believe he looks just like Dr. Evans."
"That's all I can say."
"Well then, your employer kidnapped a four year old little boy from the hospital." Goldblum took a seat and pulled a pen from his pocket. "If you don't want abetting a kidnapper on your list of charges, I suggest you give me your account number."
--
Max gripped Liz's hands as she concentrated. The five of them had planted themselves in the lounge. She released his hands with a sob and let him wrap his arms around her. "Sh. It's okay. We'll find him. Maybe when you calm down, you'll be able to reach him."
Liz sat up and smacked him in the chest. Hard. "I won't calm down, Max. My baby is with God only knows who, having God knows what done to him and I can't concentrate enough to see for myself if he's really ok or lying in a ditch somewhere."
"I can't just sit here." Danny mumbled. "Why aren't we out there looking?"
"Because I want you all where I can see you and we're waiting for word from… whoever." Max rubbed at his eyes.
"It's called a kidnapper." Kathy muttered.
"Is something going to happen to Davey?" Beth whispered from her chair at the little table.
"No." Max shook his head. "Nothing."
"I know why we're here. Because he knows where we live." Danny slammed his fist into the wall. "He can't come after the rest of us in public."
"Agent Goldblum suggested to Kyle that we stay here. He's going to handle everything. Okay? He's on this. He'll know before anyone else who this guy is." Max tried to reassure his family but it wasn't working… for himself either.
"Is he an alien?" Liz asked finally. "If he is, none of these cops or Agent Goldblum will be prepared for it."
"I know."
--
"Listen, Agent Goldblum. I haven't seen Mason in a year." The slightly slurred voice purred over the phone. "He's a little crazy. Thinks aliens are out to get him."
"Mason?" Goldblum made a note of that in his notepad.
"Yes, Mason. Mason Burkhardt. I don't know what he's done but you can be very sure that I'm also curious to his whereabouts."
"Mason Burkhardt… as in the Florida Burkhardts." Goldblum ran a hand over his face as he waited.
"Yes. One of those. I am one by marriage myself. I'd rather not be. Find him, so I can serve him with divorce papers."
"Mrs. Burkhardt, I'm sorry to inform you that your husband is a suspect in a kidnapping."
The woman snorted. "I doubt it. Mason doesn't have the balls for it. He'd hire someone to do it for him. I do know about the transactions and I'm freezing the accounts."
"Just to be sure, ma'am. I'd like a general description of your husband."
"Six foot one. Dark hair but he was going grey the last I saw, medium build… entirely too handsome for his own good and you couldn't coax that cigarette out of his hand unless it's with another cigarette. I'll fax you a picture. If he does go to jail, I'll get to keep it all. Hell, I'll give you the credit card number if it'll help."
--
David watched the man pace the room. It looked like Daddy, sounded like Daddy but he didn't dress like Daddy or act like Daddy. Daddy never would have taken him to a hotel. Daddy would have taken him home. He wanted to go home. "Where's my daddy?"
"Shut up, kid." Mason waved him off and lit another cigarette. He didn't know what he was going to do now. If that damned detective was caught, he needed something to hold over Evans so he could get his answers.
--
Kyle picked up the radio. "Confirmation from our buddies at the FBI, boys. Our guy is a look alike for the victim's father, a chain-smoker by the name of Mason Burkhardt. He may be unstable. Be cautious." Then he picked up the cell phone. He waited while he was patched into the lounge. "Max, your man called me. His name is Mason Burkhardt… he's human."
--
"I hafta go to the baffwoom." Davey announced.
"Hold it." Mason ordered and turned on the TV. "Shit." He was on the news… and they knew who he was.
"I hafta go."
"We don’t have time. We're going."
"I'm gon tinkle in my pants." Davey whined.
"Fucking… go. Quick." Mason barked and Davey jumped but rushed into the bathroom and shut the door. Putting his hand over the doorknob, he locked it the way Uncle Michael did. He jumped into the bathtub and hid behind the curtain.
He cried softly when Mason began banging on the door once he figured out he couldn't open it. {I want my mommy. I want my mommy. I want my mommy.} The bangs got louder. Davey pressed his hands over his ears.
--
Liz gasped. Eyes shut and fists clenched. {I want my mommy. I want my mommy. I want my mommy.} Tears slipped down her face as she felt the fear in her child. "Davey."
Max's head snapped around. He could see Liz was concentrating very hard on keeping whatever she had. Immediately, he was on the floor in front of her. "Is it him?"
"Yes. Max…" Her face crumpled. "He's so scared." She took a harsh breath of air. "I… I'm losing him. He doesn't know what he's doing… I'm trying to hold on to him, Max."
"I know. I know." Max took her hands. "Just try to calm down. See if you can send him any thoughts."
The sobs came out louder. "Max, he's calling for me."
--
{Mommy!} Davey buried his head under his arms as the pounding continued.
{Davey, can you hear me?}
{Mommy!}
{Davey, it's Mommy, where are you?}
{That's not Daddy. It's not Daddy.}
{I know. Where are you?}
The door broke open. {No! Mom--}
--
"Davey!" Liz screamed. She clutched onto Max. "I lost him." She beat her fists on his shoulders as she sobbed. "I lost him."
--
Kyle flipped on the sirens and whipped the car into a dangerous U-turn. He was the closest to the hotel where the disturbance was reported. Occupant matched their suspect. When he ran into the room, it was a mess. The bathroom door hung off its hinges and a set of scrubs lay on the floor. Kyle examined the door. The doorknob was still in place. He whipped out his cell phone. "Max, Davey's using his powers."
--
Mason ripped his arm away from the kid. There was a burn the size of the boy's hand where the boy had touched him. "What the hell are you?"
Davey glued himself to the door, as far away from that man as possible. As they rounded a sharp turn, he tumbled under the dash and braced himself there. Relief washed through him when he heard the sirens. Uncle Kyle.
--
"In pursuit." Kyle barked into the radio. "He's headed out of Roswell. Barricade Main West." He picked up the cell phone and Max was too eager to be there as soon as possible. "And Max, I'm trying to keep the cameras away but this is a big deal. No magic."
--
Max let Kathy out of the car two blocks from the barricade, behind the news van. He parked one block away. Danny, Beth and Liz were back at the convenient store where they could see but couldn't get hurt. Max stood directly in front of the barricade. The car would be coming very soon. No one was disappointed. The car screeched to a halt in the cleared area. He heard Kyle call out for Burkhardt to vacate the car and let Davey go. No response.
It was time.
TBC
"Fourth floor, clear!"
"Third floor, clear!"
"Second floor, clear!"
"First floor, clear!"
Max squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his head in his hands. He knew what that meant. It meant that David was not in the building. Kyle suddenly filled his vision. "Max, I'm sorry, he's already gone but we'll find him."
"Dr. Evans. I am so sorry. I should have known when he put up such a fuss." Becca sobbed.
"It's not your fault." Max rose to his feet and turned to his brother-in-law. "Is Liz here?"
"She's waiting to be let in." Kyle patted him on the shoulder. "I got that FBI Agent on a free line. He'll let us know if he finds anything." He gripped his brother-in-law. "Max, we're getting him back. I promise."
Max made the journey down to the lobby where Liz and the kids had just made it through. One look at the patriarch's red rimmed eyes and solemn-ness and they all knew it was real. The baby was really gone. They clung to each other while Kyle gave orders to his men. "Our boy is four years old, he's wearing a blue and green striped shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. Possibly a blue hooded jacket. Our abductor very closely resembles the boy's father. He's six foot one, dark hair, possibly some gray. He was last seen wearing hospital scrubs but could have discarded them at the earliest opportunity. Let's find them."
--
Goldblum laid out every single piece of equipment he had rounded up. "Mr. Scott, who is your employer?"
"I don't know." Len answered, handcuffed to the chair.
"You don't know." Goldblum shook his head. "This guy approaches you, offers you money to investigate Dr. Evans and everyone associated with him, and you don't know who he is?"
"Listen, I get hired for all sorts of jobs. This was no different. The money was wired into my account. I lost interest in his identity when he had dirt on me."
"I need your account number."
"I can't give you that."
"Mr. Scott, I don't even need a warrant for this. You have violated a trust by your participation. I can't even tell you what the punishment will be for your involvement. Your employer, I believe he looks just like Dr. Evans."
"That's all I can say."
"Well then, your employer kidnapped a four year old little boy from the hospital." Goldblum took a seat and pulled a pen from his pocket. "If you don't want abetting a kidnapper on your list of charges, I suggest you give me your account number."
--
Max gripped Liz's hands as she concentrated. The five of them had planted themselves in the lounge. She released his hands with a sob and let him wrap his arms around her. "Sh. It's okay. We'll find him. Maybe when you calm down, you'll be able to reach him."
Liz sat up and smacked him in the chest. Hard. "I won't calm down, Max. My baby is with God only knows who, having God knows what done to him and I can't concentrate enough to see for myself if he's really ok or lying in a ditch somewhere."
"I can't just sit here." Danny mumbled. "Why aren't we out there looking?"
"Because I want you all where I can see you and we're waiting for word from… whoever." Max rubbed at his eyes.
"It's called a kidnapper." Kathy muttered.
"Is something going to happen to Davey?" Beth whispered from her chair at the little table.
"No." Max shook his head. "Nothing."
"I know why we're here. Because he knows where we live." Danny slammed his fist into the wall. "He can't come after the rest of us in public."
"Agent Goldblum suggested to Kyle that we stay here. He's going to handle everything. Okay? He's on this. He'll know before anyone else who this guy is." Max tried to reassure his family but it wasn't working… for himself either.
"Is he an alien?" Liz asked finally. "If he is, none of these cops or Agent Goldblum will be prepared for it."
"I know."
--
"Listen, Agent Goldblum. I haven't seen Mason in a year." The slightly slurred voice purred over the phone. "He's a little crazy. Thinks aliens are out to get him."
"Mason?" Goldblum made a note of that in his notepad.
"Yes, Mason. Mason Burkhardt. I don't know what he's done but you can be very sure that I'm also curious to his whereabouts."
"Mason Burkhardt… as in the Florida Burkhardts." Goldblum ran a hand over his face as he waited.
"Yes. One of those. I am one by marriage myself. I'd rather not be. Find him, so I can serve him with divorce papers."
"Mrs. Burkhardt, I'm sorry to inform you that your husband is a suspect in a kidnapping."
The woman snorted. "I doubt it. Mason doesn't have the balls for it. He'd hire someone to do it for him. I do know about the transactions and I'm freezing the accounts."
"Just to be sure, ma'am. I'd like a general description of your husband."
"Six foot one. Dark hair but he was going grey the last I saw, medium build… entirely too handsome for his own good and you couldn't coax that cigarette out of his hand unless it's with another cigarette. I'll fax you a picture. If he does go to jail, I'll get to keep it all. Hell, I'll give you the credit card number if it'll help."
--
David watched the man pace the room. It looked like Daddy, sounded like Daddy but he didn't dress like Daddy or act like Daddy. Daddy never would have taken him to a hotel. Daddy would have taken him home. He wanted to go home. "Where's my daddy?"
"Shut up, kid." Mason waved him off and lit another cigarette. He didn't know what he was going to do now. If that damned detective was caught, he needed something to hold over Evans so he could get his answers.
--
Kyle picked up the radio. "Confirmation from our buddies at the FBI, boys. Our guy is a look alike for the victim's father, a chain-smoker by the name of Mason Burkhardt. He may be unstable. Be cautious." Then he picked up the cell phone. He waited while he was patched into the lounge. "Max, your man called me. His name is Mason Burkhardt… he's human."
--
"I hafta go to the baffwoom." Davey announced.
"Hold it." Mason ordered and turned on the TV. "Shit." He was on the news… and they knew who he was.
"I hafta go."
"We don’t have time. We're going."
"I'm gon tinkle in my pants." Davey whined.
"Fucking… go. Quick." Mason barked and Davey jumped but rushed into the bathroom and shut the door. Putting his hand over the doorknob, he locked it the way Uncle Michael did. He jumped into the bathtub and hid behind the curtain.
He cried softly when Mason began banging on the door once he figured out he couldn't open it. {I want my mommy. I want my mommy. I want my mommy.} The bangs got louder. Davey pressed his hands over his ears.
--
Liz gasped. Eyes shut and fists clenched. {I want my mommy. I want my mommy. I want my mommy.} Tears slipped down her face as she felt the fear in her child. "Davey."
Max's head snapped around. He could see Liz was concentrating very hard on keeping whatever she had. Immediately, he was on the floor in front of her. "Is it him?"
"Yes. Max…" Her face crumpled. "He's so scared." She took a harsh breath of air. "I… I'm losing him. He doesn't know what he's doing… I'm trying to hold on to him, Max."
"I know. I know." Max took her hands. "Just try to calm down. See if you can send him any thoughts."
The sobs came out louder. "Max, he's calling for me."
--
{Mommy!} Davey buried his head under his arms as the pounding continued.
{Davey, can you hear me?}
{Mommy!}
{Davey, it's Mommy, where are you?}
{That's not Daddy. It's not Daddy.}
{I know. Where are you?}
The door broke open. {No! Mom--}
--
"Davey!" Liz screamed. She clutched onto Max. "I lost him." She beat her fists on his shoulders as she sobbed. "I lost him."
--
Kyle flipped on the sirens and whipped the car into a dangerous U-turn. He was the closest to the hotel where the disturbance was reported. Occupant matched their suspect. When he ran into the room, it was a mess. The bathroom door hung off its hinges and a set of scrubs lay on the floor. Kyle examined the door. The doorknob was still in place. He whipped out his cell phone. "Max, Davey's using his powers."
--
Mason ripped his arm away from the kid. There was a burn the size of the boy's hand where the boy had touched him. "What the hell are you?"
Davey glued himself to the door, as far away from that man as possible. As they rounded a sharp turn, he tumbled under the dash and braced himself there. Relief washed through him when he heard the sirens. Uncle Kyle.
--
"In pursuit." Kyle barked into the radio. "He's headed out of Roswell. Barricade Main West." He picked up the cell phone and Max was too eager to be there as soon as possible. "And Max, I'm trying to keep the cameras away but this is a big deal. No magic."
--
Max let Kathy out of the car two blocks from the barricade, behind the news van. He parked one block away. Danny, Beth and Liz were back at the convenient store where they could see but couldn't get hurt. Max stood directly in front of the barricade. The car would be coming very soon. No one was disappointed. The car screeched to a halt in the cleared area. He heard Kyle call out for Burkhardt to vacate the car and let Davey go. No response.
It was time.
TBC
Part 72
The Fate of Destiny Part 72
Hands raised in the air, jacket on the ground, Max approached the car. "Mr. Burkhardt!"
"Holy shit." The profanity drifted to Max's ears. Smoke blew out of his mouth as he spoke.
"Mr. Burkhardt, I just want to talk to you." Max called from where he stopped at the front of the car. He swallowed thickly when he couldn't see David in the car.
--
Kathy casually leaned on the news van. She shut her eyes and focused on the cameramen and anchorwoman. She thanked God that there was only one news station in Roswell. When she started the mindwarp, she short-circuited the news van.
--
Burkhardt glanced at the man standing in front of the car. The temptation to run him over was great…. But he needed answers. "You ruined my life."
"I did?" Max returned his attention to the driver.
"I know what you are. Your kid burned me with his bare hand. You ruined everything."
"I don't know what you're talking about but if it is my fault, I apologize." Max craned his neck a little. "Is David okay? Can I talk to him? Can I see him?"
"Not right this second." Burkhardt shook his head and took a drag on his cigarette. "Answer a few questions and we'll see what we can arrange."
"Okay." Max nodded and moved around to the side. "I'm not trying anything. I just want to sit down where I can see you." Keeping his distance and his eyes on the threat, he did just that. "Ask."
"Why do you look like me?"
Max rubbed a hand over his face. "Um, your grandfather and I share some common DNA."
"My grandfather? He died before I was born."
"How old are you?" Max asked.
"Forty-two." Max could only nod to that.
"It doesn't change anything. I have more DNA in common with him than I do with you." Max clasped his hands over his knees. "I can guarantee you that. Can I ask you a question?" Burkhardt nodded. "Why did you take my son?"
"I needed to talk to you." Lit the next cigarette with the butt of the last.
"So you kidnapped my four-year-old?" Max couldn't contain the rage at that one. "Why not Daniel? He could have defended himself. Hell, Kathleen could have taken you down all by herself. I'd wager Bethany would have given you a fair fight. David is a very shy four-year-old boy. He can't fight back."
"You'd be surprised." Burkhardt revealed his burned arm to the doctor. "You want to tell me how he did that?"
"He's a special little boy."
"Is that how it works?"
"How what works?"
Burkhardt took a breath. "If you are related to my grandfather, is this how it works? You and your family get special gifts and me and my family get bad blood and mental illness?"
"I'm sorry. I had no say in the matter." Max wiped at his nose. "If you had come to me and asked me these questions… I would have answered what I could. You didn't have to take my boy."
"You took my informer away." Burkhardt rubbed at his temples.
"Because you were spying on my family. Do you have kids, Mason?"
He could only shake his head. "None of my babies survived infancy."
"I'm very sorry for that."
"My wife's a drunk that spends all my money. She considers it her reward for trying to have kids." Burkhardt turned to look at the little boy cowered under the dashboard. "Why you do get so much and I get so little?"
"I don’t have much." Max cleared his throat. "I have the house, the cars… are nothing fancy. I have my wife and my kids. My mom, my sister and her family… my best friend and his family."
"That's a lot, Dr. Evans." Burkhardt cleared his throat suddenly. "My parents are gone, my wife hates me, my friends aren't my friends and, hell, my career isn't even mine. I have eight of the finest cars ever made. I have more money than God but I don't even have my health. I don't have nearly as much as you."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Max whispered. "Can I talk to Davey now?"
"One more question." Not having much choice, Max nodded. "Do you have the alien dreams too?"
"Alien dreams."
"Dad told me that Granddad thought he had been taken by aliens back in the forties. Before Dad died, he would get strange feelings and dreams about aliens coming to get them. Always when he came back from California." Burkhardt rested his head against the steering wheel. "When I took over… I started to believe him. I'd get feelings, sick feelings when I was California… and in Arizona. The dreams intensified when I got here… looking for you." He groaned. "They make my head hurt."
"I'm sorry. I don't have the dreams." Max apologized. "Can I please see my son now?" Max leapt to his feet when he saw the gun. He hadn't even been sure the man was armed until that point. He backed up when Burkhardt stood and climbed out of the car. The man walked ten feet in the opposite direction and suddenly guns were clicking from all around. "Mason?"
"Get your kid."
Max immediately scrambled for the car. "Davey?"
"Daddy?" Davey climbed out from under the dash and studied his father's face. Max closed his eyes and let his son touch his face to be sure he was the right man. Suddenly, Davey threw himself against his father. Max took a shuddering breath and squeezed out a tear at the feeling of having his little boy in his arms again. Slowly, he ducked out of the car and turned to face Burkhardt.
"Go home, doctor." Burkhardt had gripped the small hand gun tightly in his hand. He sucked in deeply on the last of his cigarette.
"Why don't you put down the gun?" Max asked, backing up some.
"I don't think so." He spit the spent cigarette out of his mouth and turned the barrel of the gun up to his face.
"No!" But it was too late. Max hid Davey's face against his shoulder as the gun sounded.
Her father's shout had startled Kathy out of her mindwarp. She looked up in time to see the gun go off. She broke into a run. She had to make sure.
Danny picked up Beth and tore out of the store behind his mother at the sound of the gunshot. The family gathered around Max and Davey as they walked through the barricade. Davey leapt into his mother's arms. "Mommy!"
"My baby. Oh, I was so scared. Are you okay?" Liz looked him over. "If he put one scratch on you, I'll—"
"Liz." Max stopped her words. "You couldn't hurt him if you tried."
"I tried to hide." Davey squeezed his mother's neck. "But he broke the door."
"Sh… it's okay. It's okay." Liz tried to soothe him. "We're going home now."
--
Max watched his family from the entryway near the stairs as Goldblum relayed what he had found out. Goldblum cleared his throat. "His wife's not too broken up about it. She's already planning what to do with the money, even though his life insurance didn't cover suicide."
"He was a sick man." Max whispered.
"Yes, he was. Apart from his alien fantasies, the doctors had no reason to question his mental health. His real illness was an inherited blood disease. He would have died within the next five years. I can't figure out why he'd kidnap though. It's not in his profile. He wasn't a spontaneous person. He liked to plan, tediously."
"We took away his insurance. He was hoping to find some things out on his own, to hold something over us while he got his answers." Max explained quietly. "His grandfather was abducted because of a rare blood defect… I am essentially his great-uncle. I don't know about the alien dreams though… or the feelings he gets from here, Arizona or California."
"I guess we'll never know." Goldblum patted him on the shoulder. "I've turned Mr. Scott over to the police and confiscated all of his recordings and notes. I'm going to dispose of them and be on my way."
Max turned to the man. "Thank you, really, for everything you've done. I hope we never have to meet again."
"Take care of that kid." Goldblum gestured to Davey amidst his mother and siblings. "I don't suppose you have a therapist in the family."
"I'm a doctor, Michael's wife is a speech therapist, my sister is a lawyer, her husband is the Sheriff. We kind of thought we had our bases covered." Max sighed and offered the man a smile. "Go get married."
"I will." Goldblum opened the front door and disappeared into the night.
Max returned to the den and hunkered down on the floor with everyone else. "There's my brave boy."
"Daddy? Can I sleep with you and Mommy tonight?" Davey whispered.
"Definitely." Max nodded.
TBC
72 of 103 (posted) doing pretty good I guess. I'll try to post more this week but I've got hectic schedule and so I'm not posting new parts of anything but FODthis week. '-)
Hands raised in the air, jacket on the ground, Max approached the car. "Mr. Burkhardt!"
"Holy shit." The profanity drifted to Max's ears. Smoke blew out of his mouth as he spoke.
"Mr. Burkhardt, I just want to talk to you." Max called from where he stopped at the front of the car. He swallowed thickly when he couldn't see David in the car.
--
Kathy casually leaned on the news van. She shut her eyes and focused on the cameramen and anchorwoman. She thanked God that there was only one news station in Roswell. When she started the mindwarp, she short-circuited the news van.
--
Burkhardt glanced at the man standing in front of the car. The temptation to run him over was great…. But he needed answers. "You ruined my life."
"I did?" Max returned his attention to the driver.
"I know what you are. Your kid burned me with his bare hand. You ruined everything."
"I don't know what you're talking about but if it is my fault, I apologize." Max craned his neck a little. "Is David okay? Can I talk to him? Can I see him?"
"Not right this second." Burkhardt shook his head and took a drag on his cigarette. "Answer a few questions and we'll see what we can arrange."
"Okay." Max nodded and moved around to the side. "I'm not trying anything. I just want to sit down where I can see you." Keeping his distance and his eyes on the threat, he did just that. "Ask."
"Why do you look like me?"
Max rubbed a hand over his face. "Um, your grandfather and I share some common DNA."
"My grandfather? He died before I was born."
"How old are you?" Max asked.
"Forty-two." Max could only nod to that.
"It doesn't change anything. I have more DNA in common with him than I do with you." Max clasped his hands over his knees. "I can guarantee you that. Can I ask you a question?" Burkhardt nodded. "Why did you take my son?"
"I needed to talk to you." Lit the next cigarette with the butt of the last.
"So you kidnapped my four-year-old?" Max couldn't contain the rage at that one. "Why not Daniel? He could have defended himself. Hell, Kathleen could have taken you down all by herself. I'd wager Bethany would have given you a fair fight. David is a very shy four-year-old boy. He can't fight back."
"You'd be surprised." Burkhardt revealed his burned arm to the doctor. "You want to tell me how he did that?"
"He's a special little boy."
"Is that how it works?"
"How what works?"
Burkhardt took a breath. "If you are related to my grandfather, is this how it works? You and your family get special gifts and me and my family get bad blood and mental illness?"
"I'm sorry. I had no say in the matter." Max wiped at his nose. "If you had come to me and asked me these questions… I would have answered what I could. You didn't have to take my boy."
"You took my informer away." Burkhardt rubbed at his temples.
"Because you were spying on my family. Do you have kids, Mason?"
He could only shake his head. "None of my babies survived infancy."
"I'm very sorry for that."
"My wife's a drunk that spends all my money. She considers it her reward for trying to have kids." Burkhardt turned to look at the little boy cowered under the dashboard. "Why you do get so much and I get so little?"
"I don’t have much." Max cleared his throat. "I have the house, the cars… are nothing fancy. I have my wife and my kids. My mom, my sister and her family… my best friend and his family."
"That's a lot, Dr. Evans." Burkhardt cleared his throat suddenly. "My parents are gone, my wife hates me, my friends aren't my friends and, hell, my career isn't even mine. I have eight of the finest cars ever made. I have more money than God but I don't even have my health. I don't have nearly as much as you."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Max whispered. "Can I talk to Davey now?"
"One more question." Not having much choice, Max nodded. "Do you have the alien dreams too?"
"Alien dreams."
"Dad told me that Granddad thought he had been taken by aliens back in the forties. Before Dad died, he would get strange feelings and dreams about aliens coming to get them. Always when he came back from California." Burkhardt rested his head against the steering wheel. "When I took over… I started to believe him. I'd get feelings, sick feelings when I was California… and in Arizona. The dreams intensified when I got here… looking for you." He groaned. "They make my head hurt."
"I'm sorry. I don't have the dreams." Max apologized. "Can I please see my son now?" Max leapt to his feet when he saw the gun. He hadn't even been sure the man was armed until that point. He backed up when Burkhardt stood and climbed out of the car. The man walked ten feet in the opposite direction and suddenly guns were clicking from all around. "Mason?"
"Get your kid."
Max immediately scrambled for the car. "Davey?"
"Daddy?" Davey climbed out from under the dash and studied his father's face. Max closed his eyes and let his son touch his face to be sure he was the right man. Suddenly, Davey threw himself against his father. Max took a shuddering breath and squeezed out a tear at the feeling of having his little boy in his arms again. Slowly, he ducked out of the car and turned to face Burkhardt.
"Go home, doctor." Burkhardt had gripped the small hand gun tightly in his hand. He sucked in deeply on the last of his cigarette.
"Why don't you put down the gun?" Max asked, backing up some.
"I don't think so." He spit the spent cigarette out of his mouth and turned the barrel of the gun up to his face.
"No!" But it was too late. Max hid Davey's face against his shoulder as the gun sounded.
Her father's shout had startled Kathy out of her mindwarp. She looked up in time to see the gun go off. She broke into a run. She had to make sure.
Danny picked up Beth and tore out of the store behind his mother at the sound of the gunshot. The family gathered around Max and Davey as they walked through the barricade. Davey leapt into his mother's arms. "Mommy!"
"My baby. Oh, I was so scared. Are you okay?" Liz looked him over. "If he put one scratch on you, I'll—"
"Liz." Max stopped her words. "You couldn't hurt him if you tried."
"I tried to hide." Davey squeezed his mother's neck. "But he broke the door."
"Sh… it's okay. It's okay." Liz tried to soothe him. "We're going home now."
--
Max watched his family from the entryway near the stairs as Goldblum relayed what he had found out. Goldblum cleared his throat. "His wife's not too broken up about it. She's already planning what to do with the money, even though his life insurance didn't cover suicide."
"He was a sick man." Max whispered.
"Yes, he was. Apart from his alien fantasies, the doctors had no reason to question his mental health. His real illness was an inherited blood disease. He would have died within the next five years. I can't figure out why he'd kidnap though. It's not in his profile. He wasn't a spontaneous person. He liked to plan, tediously."
"We took away his insurance. He was hoping to find some things out on his own, to hold something over us while he got his answers." Max explained quietly. "His grandfather was abducted because of a rare blood defect… I am essentially his great-uncle. I don't know about the alien dreams though… or the feelings he gets from here, Arizona or California."
"I guess we'll never know." Goldblum patted him on the shoulder. "I've turned Mr. Scott over to the police and confiscated all of his recordings and notes. I'm going to dispose of them and be on my way."
Max turned to the man. "Thank you, really, for everything you've done. I hope we never have to meet again."
"Take care of that kid." Goldblum gestured to Davey amidst his mother and siblings. "I don't suppose you have a therapist in the family."
"I'm a doctor, Michael's wife is a speech therapist, my sister is a lawyer, her husband is the Sheriff. We kind of thought we had our bases covered." Max sighed and offered the man a smile. "Go get married."
"I will." Goldblum opened the front door and disappeared into the night.
Max returned to the den and hunkered down on the floor with everyone else. "There's my brave boy."
"Daddy? Can I sleep with you and Mommy tonight?" Davey whispered.
"Definitely." Max nodded.
TBC
72 of 103 (posted) doing pretty good I guess. I'll try to post more this week but I've got hectic schedule and so I'm not posting new parts of anything but FODthis week. '-)
Part 73
The Fate of Destiny Part 73
January 2020
Alex watched from the booth as Lynette swayed with her friends. Danny and Emily sat across from him whispering to each other. Kathy sat at the counter next to Jacobi, little Davey in her lap. Beth sat at the register with her grandfather counting change and tallying the bin. Teenagers had overrun the place. Alex couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under any scrutiny. The beating had left scars that didn't heal so well. Withdrawn from everyone except family, all his friendships at school were falling apart. Even Lynette was drifting away. This was the 10th date in the past two months where they were at the same place but not within the same five feet.
He was lost. The identity crisis had begun.
--
Liz rose against her husband's hips. He did this on purpose, she was sure of it. He waited until all the children were away before he attacked her, trapping her in bed for hours. She gripped his sweaty flesh as she began to shake, sinking her teeth into his flesh as his continued motions prolonged her pleasure. Finally, he arched into her body, hips pumping and long breaths escaping his lungs until neither could move an inch. Reluctantly, Liz shoved him off of her and reached for her robe. "Where are you going?"
"To take my pill." Liz tightened her robe as she wandered out to the kitchen for a glass of water. When she returned, he had her pills in his hand. "What?"
"You sure you want to take one?" Max opened the little box and examined the contents.
"Hand them over, Max." Liz demanded.
"The kids never had any side effects. They say sometimes if the chemicals are still in your system when you're pregn—"
"Give them." Liz reached over and took them from him. Popping one out, she downed it with water. She put the pills away and sat on the bed. "When exactly did you find out?"
"What?"
"About my dosage." She knew he was playing dumb.
"The first… two or… three times your pills changed." Max gestured to the drawer. "Those are experimental."
"I know."
"Your body either absorbs too quickly or disposes of the chemicals." Max nodded, admitting he had read the file. "It's getting tougher to maintain the levels."
"If I don't take my pill everyday at the same time, it throws the pills off and I can't maintain my levels." Liz tilted her head at him. "Isabel's on these too." He looked away. "But you knew that… and the only reason you care is the one we don't ever talk about."
"And what's that?"
"Max, we agreed. David was the last one."
"Are we sure?"
"I'm sure. I can't handle another baby. I'd like to go more than three years without taking maternity leave. I love teaching, Max. I want to keep teaching and having another baby right now, is not good… not for me and definitely not for David, Max…" She let the thought trail off. That was still a touchy subject. "In fact… by the time I'd want to have another baby… the only way I'll get a baby is if one of our children gets pregnant or their girlfriend gets pregnant." She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. "You need to get a vasectomy."
"Um, uh, what?" Max coughed. "I don't get a say?"
"Did I get a say the last two times I got pregnant?" Liz cleared her throat. "You knew about the chemical washout. I miss even one of those pills and I get pregnant. You know that. I love my children but you didn't consult me when you decided we needed more children."
--
Oriel rested her hand on her small stomach and watched Michael take apart the motorcycle engine. "Where'd you get that piece of crap?"
"Off of Bubba Bowerman. I can fix this, it'll just take me some time."
"Why do you need another bike?"
"I don't but I'll get it done in time for Em's birthday." Michael gripped the screwdriver and eased a screw out. "Don't tell her. I want it to be a surprise." When she didn't say anything, he looked up. "What?"
"You're giving your seventeen year old daughter a motorcycle?"
"Yeah. She's been riding on them since before she could walk." He adjusted his flashlight and examined another part. "It's about time, you know?"
"Un-huh." She backed out the door. "I'm going to reserve judgment until this one is old enough to drive."
Michael just shook his head and reached for a wrench.
--
Isabel flipped through a file in the firm's law library. She loaded book after book onto a table and then returned to the file. She saw the pile falling before she registered that they would. She raced to catch them and ended up knocking herself in the head for her trouble. She heard the voice before she saw the owner. "Dios mío, you okay?"
"Fine." Isabel took a moment before she looked up and allowed the stranger to help her up. "Who knew research could be hazardous to your health?"
"What's that you're doing research on?" He reached for the file that had fallen to the ground. "Property law?"
"Not exactly exciting." Isabel straightened herself and the books before taking a good look at her intruder. Late 40s, nice suit, briefcase. "Can I help you?"
"I…" He set the file down on top of her stack of books. "I was looking for your boss actually."
"My boss?" The thought made her laugh. She cleared her throat. "Who would that be?"
"Um," He dug a card out of his pocket. "Evans is the name I have, would have replaced Phillip Evans, I believe."
"That," she pointed. "Is an old card." Gathering her books and her file, she started the trip back to her office. "You always follow up on outdated research?"
"I was made to believe that the boss was here." He followed her, grabbing his briefcase. "I talked to the gentleman out front and he said, 'Yep, the boss is in'."
"He's right." Isabel nodded and allowed him to grab the door for her. "You are?"
"Jesse Ramirez." He hovered in the doorway for a moment, noting the name on the door. "Look, I know that a paralegal's work is never done but really need to speak to your boss."
Isabel took a seat with her books and ran her eyes over her appointment book. It was clear… and much later than she thought. Isabel took a breath and motioned for Jesse to sit. "That would be impossible. My employer passed away some time ago."
"But—"
She cut him off and sat back. "That card is very old. I haven't been a paralegal in a very long time, Mr. Ramirez, and an Evans for even longer. What can I do for you?"
Jesse sat up straight and working his mouth for a moment before sound came out and he could recall the name on the door. "You… are Isabel?"
"Valenti but yes."
"I'm sorry." Jesse took a breath and started again. "Ms. Valenti, I spoke to Phillip Evans many years ago about a position in this firm. He told me that I was welcome any time in the future. I've made plans to relocate to Roswell. I just found out about Mr. Evans's passing but…"
"You wondered if the invitation still held?" Isabel patted her hair down and folded her hands over her desk as she sat up. "Mr. Ramirez, I am not currently looking for more associates but what I do need at this point is a partner. I believe I spoke to a mutual colleague of ours. Maury Ferrell is the reason you're here?"
"Yes." Jesse seemed to relax.
"He sent along a dossier of your more impressive case files, along with strong recommendations." Isabel shook her head. "I'm going to be honest… Roswell is not the place for a lawyer like you. Taking a step down, even to partner—"
"I'm looking for a slower pace." Jesse interrupted. "I'm relocating regardless of whether or not you take me on as a partner or an associate or even at all. This firm is my first choice."
"That's good to hear." She sat back. "It does bother me, though, that Maury is plugging so hard for you. He and I don't have the best history and that doesn't exactly put you in the best light with me."
"Maury Ferrell is someone I met through Phillip Evans and over the years, we've kept in touch. He's been trying to get me down here since the first time I spoke to Mr. Evans."
"I know." Tilted her head and really studied the man across from her. "Maury has been trying to take control of this firm since my father passed. Hell, it was all I could do to keep it Evans and Associates for so long. It's no longer possible to stand up on my own. Maury is retired but that won't stop him from seeing his favorites to partner." She took a breath. "What I'm saying is this: I like what I've seen of you so far. The cases you've won, your courtroom manner. It's all good but if I take you on as partner… there had better be some hostility between you and Ferrell's cronies. ¿Entiende me?"
"Understood."
"Well, Jesse Ramirez, let's show you around and introduce you to Bruce before he leaves for the day. My assistant is already gone… and so is everyone else. The money isn't overly fantastic and your office will take a week or two but I'll find some catalogs for you." Isabel rose to her feet and held out her hand. "Welcome."
--
Liz was blow drying her hair when she heard the front door open. Max was sulking on the bed before he had to leave for work. A light pounding of feet through the house ended at their door. Davey pushed it open slowly until he could see his father. Max lifted his hand to his head and wiggled his thumb and ring finger. Liz could see the slight hurt in Max's eyes every time he had to reassure their baby of his identity.
Reassured that it was his father, Davey raced into the room and onto Max's lap. "I'm home."
"So I see. Did you have fun?" Slow nod. "Did Kathy take care of you?" Slow nod. "Did you see Grandma and Grandpa?" Slow nod. "Did a cat steal your tongue?" Giggle. "Oh no, Mommy. Davey forgot how to talk."
"Oh no. What are we going to do, Daddy?" Liz shook her head and shut off the hair dryer.
"I don't know." Max tapped his chin and squinted his eyes. "I guess I'm going to have to check his batteries."
"No, no, no." Davey shot off the bed but Max was quicker. His fingers sneaking under the T-shirt to tickle his son's tummy. "Quit it, quit it. Ah! Stop!"
"He's talking! It's a miracle!" Max threw Davey over his shoulder. "Let's go find your brother and sisters."
"Danny taked Emmy home." Davey managed after he caught his breath.
"Oh, okay." Max set him down on a chair in the kitchen. "Did you eat?"
"Uh-huh. Grandpa make me a hot dog and a pickle." Davey nodded and let out a huge yawn. "And ice cream and cookies."
"I think someone's sleepy." Max shook his head as he fixed himself a sandwich.
"I not."
"You are." Liz bent to kiss his head. "And I can't believe Grandpa let you eat all that junk."
"Not junk. It's food." Davey crossed his arms.
"Mom!" Beth came bounding down the stairs. "Guess what?"
"What?" Liz waited a few more seconds before her daughter was visible. "What is it?"
"Me and Kathy are gonna start working at Grandpa's."
"Really?" Liz's eyes went wide. "Since when?"
"Today I helped Grandpa at the cash register and Kathy had to pitch in when it got heavy today. That's what Grandpa said. It was fun." Beth hopped up on the counter next to her father just as Kathy appeared. "Grandpa said it would be good for us."
"Yeah." Kathy grumbled. "My feet hurt."
"I'll bet." Liz hid her laugh. "So, you're going to work?"
"Yes." Kathy held her head up. "And the major pay off is that we get to hear stories about you and Dad."
"Stories?" Max turned and looked to Liz before wincing and returning to his sandwich.
"Yes. Stories." Kathy sat at the table. "What's this about the two of you running off one night?"
--
Isabel sat between her two sons and nodded off until she heard the door open and Michael appeared in her living room. Alex took Kyle Jr. to bed, sensing that something was up. Isabel blinked at Michael. "What's up?"
Michael held his hands out and seemed to be trying to contain his rage. "Just tell your brother to keep his kid away from my daughter."
"Michael?" Isabel sat upright, suddenly fully awake. "What happened?"
"I don't want to remember what happened." Michael sank into a chair with his head in his hands. Finally, he dropped them and sagged his shoulders. "I was in the garage working on a present for Em… Oriel had gone for a walk… and I imagine the house was pretty dark when Em got home. When I went upstairs to wash up…"
"She wasn't alone?" Isabel winced. "Michael…"
"I chased him out of there and… I was too angry to talk to Em so I just left." He sank even lower in the chair. "She's 16, barely going to be 17 this summer… Can you talk to her?"
"Michael?" Isabel cleared her throat and leaned forward. "Talk to her yourself or talk to Oriel."
"What?" he looked up at her.
"Kyle gives Alex all of the talks… How do you think he'd feel if I asked you or Max to talk to him instead? How would Oriel feel if I talked to Em instead? You guys are a family now…" She sighed and jumped in. "We're all family. Talk to Max if you want him to know anything. I'm done relaying messages."
TBC
January 2020
Alex watched from the booth as Lynette swayed with her friends. Danny and Emily sat across from him whispering to each other. Kathy sat at the counter next to Jacobi, little Davey in her lap. Beth sat at the register with her grandfather counting change and tallying the bin. Teenagers had overrun the place. Alex couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under any scrutiny. The beating had left scars that didn't heal so well. Withdrawn from everyone except family, all his friendships at school were falling apart. Even Lynette was drifting away. This was the 10th date in the past two months where they were at the same place but not within the same five feet.
He was lost. The identity crisis had begun.
--
Liz rose against her husband's hips. He did this on purpose, she was sure of it. He waited until all the children were away before he attacked her, trapping her in bed for hours. She gripped his sweaty flesh as she began to shake, sinking her teeth into his flesh as his continued motions prolonged her pleasure. Finally, he arched into her body, hips pumping and long breaths escaping his lungs until neither could move an inch. Reluctantly, Liz shoved him off of her and reached for her robe. "Where are you going?"
"To take my pill." Liz tightened her robe as she wandered out to the kitchen for a glass of water. When she returned, he had her pills in his hand. "What?"
"You sure you want to take one?" Max opened the little box and examined the contents.
"Hand them over, Max." Liz demanded.
"The kids never had any side effects. They say sometimes if the chemicals are still in your system when you're pregn—"
"Give them." Liz reached over and took them from him. Popping one out, she downed it with water. She put the pills away and sat on the bed. "When exactly did you find out?"
"What?"
"About my dosage." She knew he was playing dumb.
"The first… two or… three times your pills changed." Max gestured to the drawer. "Those are experimental."
"I know."
"Your body either absorbs too quickly or disposes of the chemicals." Max nodded, admitting he had read the file. "It's getting tougher to maintain the levels."
"If I don't take my pill everyday at the same time, it throws the pills off and I can't maintain my levels." Liz tilted her head at him. "Isabel's on these too." He looked away. "But you knew that… and the only reason you care is the one we don't ever talk about."
"And what's that?"
"Max, we agreed. David was the last one."
"Are we sure?"
"I'm sure. I can't handle another baby. I'd like to go more than three years without taking maternity leave. I love teaching, Max. I want to keep teaching and having another baby right now, is not good… not for me and definitely not for David, Max…" She let the thought trail off. That was still a touchy subject. "In fact… by the time I'd want to have another baby… the only way I'll get a baby is if one of our children gets pregnant or their girlfriend gets pregnant." She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. "You need to get a vasectomy."
"Um, uh, what?" Max coughed. "I don't get a say?"
"Did I get a say the last two times I got pregnant?" Liz cleared her throat. "You knew about the chemical washout. I miss even one of those pills and I get pregnant. You know that. I love my children but you didn't consult me when you decided we needed more children."
--
Oriel rested her hand on her small stomach and watched Michael take apart the motorcycle engine. "Where'd you get that piece of crap?"
"Off of Bubba Bowerman. I can fix this, it'll just take me some time."
"Why do you need another bike?"
"I don't but I'll get it done in time for Em's birthday." Michael gripped the screwdriver and eased a screw out. "Don't tell her. I want it to be a surprise." When she didn't say anything, he looked up. "What?"
"You're giving your seventeen year old daughter a motorcycle?"
"Yeah. She's been riding on them since before she could walk." He adjusted his flashlight and examined another part. "It's about time, you know?"
"Un-huh." She backed out the door. "I'm going to reserve judgment until this one is old enough to drive."
Michael just shook his head and reached for a wrench.
--
Isabel flipped through a file in the firm's law library. She loaded book after book onto a table and then returned to the file. She saw the pile falling before she registered that they would. She raced to catch them and ended up knocking herself in the head for her trouble. She heard the voice before she saw the owner. "Dios mío, you okay?"
"Fine." Isabel took a moment before she looked up and allowed the stranger to help her up. "Who knew research could be hazardous to your health?"
"What's that you're doing research on?" He reached for the file that had fallen to the ground. "Property law?"
"Not exactly exciting." Isabel straightened herself and the books before taking a good look at her intruder. Late 40s, nice suit, briefcase. "Can I help you?"
"I…" He set the file down on top of her stack of books. "I was looking for your boss actually."
"My boss?" The thought made her laugh. She cleared her throat. "Who would that be?"
"Um," He dug a card out of his pocket. "Evans is the name I have, would have replaced Phillip Evans, I believe."
"That," she pointed. "Is an old card." Gathering her books and her file, she started the trip back to her office. "You always follow up on outdated research?"
"I was made to believe that the boss was here." He followed her, grabbing his briefcase. "I talked to the gentleman out front and he said, 'Yep, the boss is in'."
"He's right." Isabel nodded and allowed him to grab the door for her. "You are?"
"Jesse Ramirez." He hovered in the doorway for a moment, noting the name on the door. "Look, I know that a paralegal's work is never done but really need to speak to your boss."
Isabel took a seat with her books and ran her eyes over her appointment book. It was clear… and much later than she thought. Isabel took a breath and motioned for Jesse to sit. "That would be impossible. My employer passed away some time ago."
"But—"
She cut him off and sat back. "That card is very old. I haven't been a paralegal in a very long time, Mr. Ramirez, and an Evans for even longer. What can I do for you?"
Jesse sat up straight and working his mouth for a moment before sound came out and he could recall the name on the door. "You… are Isabel?"
"Valenti but yes."
"I'm sorry." Jesse took a breath and started again. "Ms. Valenti, I spoke to Phillip Evans many years ago about a position in this firm. He told me that I was welcome any time in the future. I've made plans to relocate to Roswell. I just found out about Mr. Evans's passing but…"
"You wondered if the invitation still held?" Isabel patted her hair down and folded her hands over her desk as she sat up. "Mr. Ramirez, I am not currently looking for more associates but what I do need at this point is a partner. I believe I spoke to a mutual colleague of ours. Maury Ferrell is the reason you're here?"
"Yes." Jesse seemed to relax.
"He sent along a dossier of your more impressive case files, along with strong recommendations." Isabel shook her head. "I'm going to be honest… Roswell is not the place for a lawyer like you. Taking a step down, even to partner—"
"I'm looking for a slower pace." Jesse interrupted. "I'm relocating regardless of whether or not you take me on as a partner or an associate or even at all. This firm is my first choice."
"That's good to hear." She sat back. "It does bother me, though, that Maury is plugging so hard for you. He and I don't have the best history and that doesn't exactly put you in the best light with me."
"Maury Ferrell is someone I met through Phillip Evans and over the years, we've kept in touch. He's been trying to get me down here since the first time I spoke to Mr. Evans."
"I know." Tilted her head and really studied the man across from her. "Maury has been trying to take control of this firm since my father passed. Hell, it was all I could do to keep it Evans and Associates for so long. It's no longer possible to stand up on my own. Maury is retired but that won't stop him from seeing his favorites to partner." She took a breath. "What I'm saying is this: I like what I've seen of you so far. The cases you've won, your courtroom manner. It's all good but if I take you on as partner… there had better be some hostility between you and Ferrell's cronies. ¿Entiende me?"
"Understood."
"Well, Jesse Ramirez, let's show you around and introduce you to Bruce before he leaves for the day. My assistant is already gone… and so is everyone else. The money isn't overly fantastic and your office will take a week or two but I'll find some catalogs for you." Isabel rose to her feet and held out her hand. "Welcome."
--
Liz was blow drying her hair when she heard the front door open. Max was sulking on the bed before he had to leave for work. A light pounding of feet through the house ended at their door. Davey pushed it open slowly until he could see his father. Max lifted his hand to his head and wiggled his thumb and ring finger. Liz could see the slight hurt in Max's eyes every time he had to reassure their baby of his identity.
Reassured that it was his father, Davey raced into the room and onto Max's lap. "I'm home."
"So I see. Did you have fun?" Slow nod. "Did Kathy take care of you?" Slow nod. "Did you see Grandma and Grandpa?" Slow nod. "Did a cat steal your tongue?" Giggle. "Oh no, Mommy. Davey forgot how to talk."
"Oh no. What are we going to do, Daddy?" Liz shook her head and shut off the hair dryer.
"I don't know." Max tapped his chin and squinted his eyes. "I guess I'm going to have to check his batteries."
"No, no, no." Davey shot off the bed but Max was quicker. His fingers sneaking under the T-shirt to tickle his son's tummy. "Quit it, quit it. Ah! Stop!"
"He's talking! It's a miracle!" Max threw Davey over his shoulder. "Let's go find your brother and sisters."
"Danny taked Emmy home." Davey managed after he caught his breath.
"Oh, okay." Max set him down on a chair in the kitchen. "Did you eat?"
"Uh-huh. Grandpa make me a hot dog and a pickle." Davey nodded and let out a huge yawn. "And ice cream and cookies."
"I think someone's sleepy." Max shook his head as he fixed himself a sandwich.
"I not."
"You are." Liz bent to kiss his head. "And I can't believe Grandpa let you eat all that junk."
"Not junk. It's food." Davey crossed his arms.
"Mom!" Beth came bounding down the stairs. "Guess what?"
"What?" Liz waited a few more seconds before her daughter was visible. "What is it?"
"Me and Kathy are gonna start working at Grandpa's."
"Really?" Liz's eyes went wide. "Since when?"
"Today I helped Grandpa at the cash register and Kathy had to pitch in when it got heavy today. That's what Grandpa said. It was fun." Beth hopped up on the counter next to her father just as Kathy appeared. "Grandpa said it would be good for us."
"Yeah." Kathy grumbled. "My feet hurt."
"I'll bet." Liz hid her laugh. "So, you're going to work?"
"Yes." Kathy held her head up. "And the major pay off is that we get to hear stories about you and Dad."
"Stories?" Max turned and looked to Liz before wincing and returning to his sandwich.
"Yes. Stories." Kathy sat at the table. "What's this about the two of you running off one night?"
--
Isabel sat between her two sons and nodded off until she heard the door open and Michael appeared in her living room. Alex took Kyle Jr. to bed, sensing that something was up. Isabel blinked at Michael. "What's up?"
Michael held his hands out and seemed to be trying to contain his rage. "Just tell your brother to keep his kid away from my daughter."
"Michael?" Isabel sat upright, suddenly fully awake. "What happened?"
"I don't want to remember what happened." Michael sank into a chair with his head in his hands. Finally, he dropped them and sagged his shoulders. "I was in the garage working on a present for Em… Oriel had gone for a walk… and I imagine the house was pretty dark when Em got home. When I went upstairs to wash up…"
"She wasn't alone?" Isabel winced. "Michael…"
"I chased him out of there and… I was too angry to talk to Em so I just left." He sank even lower in the chair. "She's 16, barely going to be 17 this summer… Can you talk to her?"
"Michael?" Isabel cleared her throat and leaned forward. "Talk to her yourself or talk to Oriel."
"What?" he looked up at her.
"Kyle gives Alex all of the talks… How do you think he'd feel if I asked you or Max to talk to him instead? How would Oriel feel if I talked to Em instead? You guys are a family now…" She sighed and jumped in. "We're all family. Talk to Max if you want him to know anything. I'm done relaying messages."
TBC
Part 74
The Fate of Destiny Part 74
Max picked up a pamphlet and flipped through it. He almost put it back but sucked it up and turned to go with the piece of paper, only to run into Freddy Nichols. "Oh. Hey Freddy."
"Max, some light reading?" Freddy pointed.
"Option number 1."
"Option number 2 being forbearance?" He clapped Max on the back. "This is a sensitive operation…"
"I'm sure I'll find someone." Max nodded.
Freddy started to walk away but turned and cleared his throat. "If your reluctance has anything to do with your cult… I'm sure we can find a discreet way to take care of this."
"Thanks for the offer but I'll get it taken care of." Max tapped his palm with the pamphlet and made for the elevators.
--
Alex laughed his head off at lunch when Danny and Emily retold their horror story. Kathy sat at Jacobi's table with his friends. "Okay. So how… into things were you?"
"Far."
"Not far."
The two looked at each other with raised eyebrows then looked away. Alex burst out laughing again. "So, I'm going to assume that clothes are off and there's some friction going on. Then the door opens and…"
"Everyone froze." Emily closed her eyes at the memory. "It was silent for an eternity and then suddenly Dad just flies off the handle, shouting and throwing stuffed animals."
"I'm trying to get my clothes back on without hurting myself, ducking around this enraged alien and honestly fearing for my life. I've never driven so fast. When I got to my room, I half expected him to be pounding my door down." Danny shook his head and buried his face in Emily's shoulder. "My parents haven't spoken to me but… I don't know how long the Evans-Guerin patriarchal feud is going to go on. Sooner or later, they're going to find out."
"But Uncle Max is cool." Alex shook his head.
"If he's your uncle but he's my Dad." Danny threw a piece of fried okra at his cousin. "He makes me so mad sometimes but… he's my dad."
"Yeah." Alex nodded. Sometimes, especially recently, he wondered if he would have gotten into as many fights with his real dad as he did with Kyle. Wondered if his dad got into any fights with his father. Sometimes he felt bad for not spending as much time with his Whitman family. Aunt Mags was cool for all the grief she gave his mom.
"Junior." Emily reached over and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, where's your better half?"
Alex turned and spotted her immediately… flirting with Sam Rivas. He turned back to them. "I don't know." He gathered his books and stood up. "I'll be in the music room."
Emily stared after him. "Are they breaking up?"
"I don't know." Danny shook his head.
--
Kyle pulled off his cowboy hat as he entered the station. It was already warm for January, not that he was complaining much. He waved to the clerk and the on-duty officers behind the counter as he continued on to his office. Officer Davis raced after him but caught him too late. "Sheriff, there's…"
Before he could even register the officer's words, the door was open and there stood a woman by the window. Kyle froze. Officer Davis mumbled an apology and departed for the front desk. The two stared at each other for a long time before she took a deep breath and moved around the desk. "When I asked to wait for the Sheriff… I didn't expect to see you."
Turning his hat in his hands nervously, Kyle stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "I am the Sheriff, now."
"Oh." She sat in a chair and waited while he made his way around the desk. "How long?"
"Few years." Kyle tossed his hat on top of a file cabinet. "What are you doing here, Mom?"
--
Dun, dun. Dun, dun. "Never asked to be this way. Running and hiding all day." Dun. Dun. "Drifting this way and that…" Stopping, Alex groaned. "This sucks." His voice echoed around the room. After a long silence, filled with thinking and mental strumming, he tried again.
Bling, dee-dee, dee, dee, dum, dun. Bling, dee-dee, dee, dee, dum, dun. "It's not as easy as you may think." Bund-dunna. "To keep from drowning in the sink." Bund-dunna. "Watching and waiting, always hesitating." He fiddled with chords and tunings before trying again. "Falling through clouds and despair. Catching nothing but air. Looking, not seeing, living, not being."
The bell rang but he ignored it. "It's your Machiavellian face. Locking me inside this haze. Screaming and yelling, My voice it fails me." Shutting his eyes, he let the song guide him. "The alien inside me, Hiding, denying. Screaming, dying. Can't it just end. Plastic and fading, you always hating. The alien inside me, wanting to blend."
A loud tapping halted his jam session. When he looked up, the chorale instructor was standing at the door. "I really hate to interrupt the muse and her instruments but you have got to have class somewhere."
Alex looked at his watch, surprised that he had been in the music room much longer than he thought. He had missed English… again. Shit.
"Come on, Mr. Whitman." She held the door open… and the principal chose that second to walk by.
"Did you say Whitman?"
--
Isabel shut her eyes when her assistant opened the door while she and Jesse were negotiating the partnership. Lila had that look on her face. Jesse looked between them in confusion. Isabel shook her head and motioned for Lila to speak. Lila shifted from foot to foot. "It's the school, Mrs. Jokhu."
"Not again." Isabel gritted her teeth, then turned to Jesse. "Excuse me a moment." She picked up the phone and hit the button. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Jokhu… No, of course not… what did he do?" Isabel turned the pencil in her hand and suddenly it snapped. Her mouth fell open and her head shook, eyes shut. "I'll talk to him… Tell him he has to be in my sight no later than 3:40… No, he's not. He will leave straight after school to see me. You will not keep him after school… Mrs. Jokhu, if he won't show up to class, what makes you think he'll show up for detention. I will deal with my son."
She hung up and picked up another pencil to finish going over the paperwork. "And these are for tax purposes… and this is the benefits package…"
Jesse nodded and took the stack of papers and ran a quick eye over them. "Covers…"
"Spouse and children."
"Dependant parents?"
Isabel looked up at his question and then got up to find her insurance manual. "I actually don't know. Dad's retired and the state's provided for him."
"So you have a kid?" Jesse bent his head over his forms, the pen flying over the most important of the documents.
"Three." Isabel pulled a five-inch binder out of a cabinet and hefted it onto the table to flip through it. She looked up to find an incredulous expression on his face. "I'm older than I look… much so."
"Mine's eleven." Jesse snorted. "If anyone had told me that pre-pubescent boys could contain such attitude… I might have traded him in for a girl at birth."
"According to my brother, teen girls are hell on earth." Isabel laughed to herself. "But I'll find out in about four years." She flipped through section after section and back as directed but she couldn't find the section she was looking for. "How'd your wife feel about moving to Roswell from Boston?"
Jesse looked up and then down. "She passed away five years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I'm helping out my mom. She doesn't get to see Sebastián as much as she'd like to and it's getting hard for her to get around." His head bobbed up and down as he talked. "I'd like to spend more time with both of them. I've been considering this move since Patty passed."
"That's good. Family's important. My family is so close, we're all claustrophobic. What time is it?" Isabel turned to look at the clock. "3:45. I'm going to kill that kid."
"No, you won't." Alex spoke as he opened the door. "Jokhu kept me in her office all afternoon. I think she let me go ten minutes late just to piss you off. What did you say to her?"
"Jesse Ramirez, my eldest. Alex Whitman, my new partner." Isabel sat back and crossed her arms. "Sit. Now."
"Do you want me to leave?" Jesse cleared his throat.
"No. I find that humiliation is a great parental tool." Isabel turned to her son when he pulled a chair around to sit next to her. "We talked about this."
"I didn't mean to do it, it was an accident." Alex shrugged and waited for the yelling.
"You promised that you would go to class. You have barely a year left and that's it, you can do whatever you want. One year, Alexander." Isabel sat up straight. "How in the hell do you accidentally miss a class?"
"I went to the music room at lunch to write a song. Before I knew it the bell was ringing and it was 7th period. I was going to get an excuse but Jokhu saw me and pulled me into the office." He shrugged again.
"Listen to me, this is going to stop, accidental or otherwise." She leaned forward to look him in the eyes. "No ditching, no backtalk. If it happens again, I'll ask Aunt Liz to walk you to all your classes." She sat back and turned to her notebook once again. "The file cabinets are waiting for you."
"Yes, ma'am." Alex got to his feet and grabbed the stack of folders waiting to be filed.
"Lynette can wait to talk to you tomorrow, no phone and no going out." Isabel shook her head. Alex nodded to himself and then shook his head as the image of Lynette and Sam in the cafeteria filled his mind. "Alex?"
"Not going to be a problem."
"Good." Isabel turned to Jesse. "I actually don't have the details on that but um, maybe you could ask the consultant when you turn in your forms."
"Will do."
"Okay." Isabel rose from her seat to stretch a little. "The office is being painted, so you'll be in here with me for a while. Hope you don't mind."
"That's fine. I wasn't expecting an office." Jesse shook his head and set his forms aside.
"Alright, I gave you the catalogue last night. If we get the order in by…" She yawned. "Oh, excuse me. By Thursday, it'll be here the day after the paint dries." She cleared her throat. "You're familiar with a courtroom and you don't resort to theatrics, I like that. After you get settled a little, we'll start throwing you in the courtroom. This is Roswell, there's hardly anything big. That property case we're working on is nearly over and that's old news. It was also the biggest case we've had in a while."
"What's your specialty?"
"Contracts. I do really well with the fine print." Isabel opened the door and made a motion to Lila. "You've met Lila and Bruce. They really run things around here. There are five associates, three of whom are Maury's boys. You've probably met them at one point or another. Hank Ryan does divorce, Quincey Miles does any criminal cases we might need done… Perry Lyons is… small claims or anything I feel like assigning him." Isabel caught his smile and nodded. "Yes, it's good to be the boss. Ford Walsh is my guy for family court. People… especially women, open up to him. Kim Isaacs does really well in open court. Paralegals come and go. Millhouse, Darren, Uly, Peters and Wilma are the currents."
"Are those first or last names?"
"I don't remember." Isabel opened the door for Lila who carried in a small cake and headed up the entrance of everyone in the office. Jesse blinked at all the people who lined up behind Lila. "Jesse Ramirez, welcome to the team."
Noise built as people introduced themselves and had cake. Alex could only nod to the cooler of the bunch as he continued his filing.
--
"Waitress!"
Kathy wanted to cry. Her feet hurt, her back hurt and if she broke one more plate, she would have earned nothing for the day. She glanced at Beth and she was doing just fine at the register on that stool.
"Waitress!"
"Coming."
--
"Mobecca's got short hair and she paint a picture of Becky and I paint pictures of Mommy and you." David rambled on and on about how much fun he had at daycare. Max could only smile and urge him on. "Jeerry's got shoes with lights when he runs and stomps hims feet. I want shoes like that, Daddy… and Vitty talks a lot and him makes me waugh."
"Yeah?" Max reached over and squeezed his shoe.
"Uh-huh. Daddy, I love you."
"Love you, too."
"And I love Mommy and Danny and Kitty and Befanny."
"Me too."
"Daddy, I want a puppy."
"A puppy?" Max hissed. "I don't know. We'd have to talk to Mommy about that one."
"A black one with white spots."
"We'll see."
"I can call him Pepper."
"Thought a lot about this have we?" Max ruffled his hair and pulled into the driveway.
"And I can pway catch with him… and…"
--
Emily looked up when the door opened. Michael entered the house and stepped into the kitchen. He froze when he saw her… then he turned, grabbed a Coke from the fridge and continued on to the garage. Emily winced at the loud bangs that emitted from the garage and jumped at the small explosion. The longer he was in there making noise, the worse she felt. When he reemerged, he went straight for the staircase without even a glance in her direction.
When the door slammed upstairs, Oriel walked into the house in complete confusion. She turned to Emily. "What did he do to the bike?"
--
Isabel walked into the house and found her little ones doing their homework and a great smell permeating the house. Alex brushed past her and disappeared into his room. All she could do was sigh and check the kitchen, surprised when she saw the cook. "Kyle?"
"Yeah?" He wouldn't look up from the stove.
"What are you doing home?"
"I'm on call. If they need me, they'll call." He shrugged.
"Where's your dad?"
"Entertaining an unexpected guest… who's staying for dinner." Teeth clenched, he threw the spoon into the pot of pasta. Kyle leaned on the counter with his hands clenched in his hair. "How was your day?"
"Kyle." Isabel reached out to hug him but he shook his head. "What's wrong?"
"It's my mom."
"Your mom?"
Tugged at his hair and shut his eyes. "The woman who left me and my dad when I was nine? My mom. She showed up at the station looking for Dad. They've been talking for a long time. I tried to tell her about you and the kids but… I get so mad. She doesn't have any right."
"Sweetie." Isabel pulled his hands out of his hair. "Don't worry about it. It'll be okay…" She finally succeeded in getting her arms around him. "Did she say why she's here?"
"No and… I just can't talk to her." Eyes on the ceiling and head tilted back. "What am I supposed to say? Thanks for abandoning us? Where have you been the last 26 years?"
"Relax. It'll be fine. Let's get dinner finished."
TBC
Two parts because I've got a moment and have them with me. Still doing the hectic life and I'm postponing updates on everything else until next week.
Max picked up a pamphlet and flipped through it. He almost put it back but sucked it up and turned to go with the piece of paper, only to run into Freddy Nichols. "Oh. Hey Freddy."
"Max, some light reading?" Freddy pointed.
"Option number 1."
"Option number 2 being forbearance?" He clapped Max on the back. "This is a sensitive operation…"
"I'm sure I'll find someone." Max nodded.
Freddy started to walk away but turned and cleared his throat. "If your reluctance has anything to do with your cult… I'm sure we can find a discreet way to take care of this."
"Thanks for the offer but I'll get it taken care of." Max tapped his palm with the pamphlet and made for the elevators.
--
Alex laughed his head off at lunch when Danny and Emily retold their horror story. Kathy sat at Jacobi's table with his friends. "Okay. So how… into things were you?"
"Far."
"Not far."
The two looked at each other with raised eyebrows then looked away. Alex burst out laughing again. "So, I'm going to assume that clothes are off and there's some friction going on. Then the door opens and…"
"Everyone froze." Emily closed her eyes at the memory. "It was silent for an eternity and then suddenly Dad just flies off the handle, shouting and throwing stuffed animals."
"I'm trying to get my clothes back on without hurting myself, ducking around this enraged alien and honestly fearing for my life. I've never driven so fast. When I got to my room, I half expected him to be pounding my door down." Danny shook his head and buried his face in Emily's shoulder. "My parents haven't spoken to me but… I don't know how long the Evans-Guerin patriarchal feud is going to go on. Sooner or later, they're going to find out."
"But Uncle Max is cool." Alex shook his head.
"If he's your uncle but he's my Dad." Danny threw a piece of fried okra at his cousin. "He makes me so mad sometimes but… he's my dad."
"Yeah." Alex nodded. Sometimes, especially recently, he wondered if he would have gotten into as many fights with his real dad as he did with Kyle. Wondered if his dad got into any fights with his father. Sometimes he felt bad for not spending as much time with his Whitman family. Aunt Mags was cool for all the grief she gave his mom.
"Junior." Emily reached over and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, where's your better half?"
Alex turned and spotted her immediately… flirting with Sam Rivas. He turned back to them. "I don't know." He gathered his books and stood up. "I'll be in the music room."
Emily stared after him. "Are they breaking up?"
"I don't know." Danny shook his head.
--
Kyle pulled off his cowboy hat as he entered the station. It was already warm for January, not that he was complaining much. He waved to the clerk and the on-duty officers behind the counter as he continued on to his office. Officer Davis raced after him but caught him too late. "Sheriff, there's…"
Before he could even register the officer's words, the door was open and there stood a woman by the window. Kyle froze. Officer Davis mumbled an apology and departed for the front desk. The two stared at each other for a long time before she took a deep breath and moved around the desk. "When I asked to wait for the Sheriff… I didn't expect to see you."
Turning his hat in his hands nervously, Kyle stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "I am the Sheriff, now."
"Oh." She sat in a chair and waited while he made his way around the desk. "How long?"
"Few years." Kyle tossed his hat on top of a file cabinet. "What are you doing here, Mom?"
--
Dun, dun. Dun, dun. "Never asked to be this way. Running and hiding all day." Dun. Dun. "Drifting this way and that…" Stopping, Alex groaned. "This sucks." His voice echoed around the room. After a long silence, filled with thinking and mental strumming, he tried again.
Bling, dee-dee, dee, dee, dum, dun. Bling, dee-dee, dee, dee, dum, dun. "It's not as easy as you may think." Bund-dunna. "To keep from drowning in the sink." Bund-dunna. "Watching and waiting, always hesitating." He fiddled with chords and tunings before trying again. "Falling through clouds and despair. Catching nothing but air. Looking, not seeing, living, not being."
The bell rang but he ignored it. "It's your Machiavellian face. Locking me inside this haze. Screaming and yelling, My voice it fails me." Shutting his eyes, he let the song guide him. "The alien inside me, Hiding, denying. Screaming, dying. Can't it just end. Plastic and fading, you always hating. The alien inside me, wanting to blend."
A loud tapping halted his jam session. When he looked up, the chorale instructor was standing at the door. "I really hate to interrupt the muse and her instruments but you have got to have class somewhere."
Alex looked at his watch, surprised that he had been in the music room much longer than he thought. He had missed English… again. Shit.
"Come on, Mr. Whitman." She held the door open… and the principal chose that second to walk by.
"Did you say Whitman?"
--
Isabel shut her eyes when her assistant opened the door while she and Jesse were negotiating the partnership. Lila had that look on her face. Jesse looked between them in confusion. Isabel shook her head and motioned for Lila to speak. Lila shifted from foot to foot. "It's the school, Mrs. Jokhu."
"Not again." Isabel gritted her teeth, then turned to Jesse. "Excuse me a moment." She picked up the phone and hit the button. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Jokhu… No, of course not… what did he do?" Isabel turned the pencil in her hand and suddenly it snapped. Her mouth fell open and her head shook, eyes shut. "I'll talk to him… Tell him he has to be in my sight no later than 3:40… No, he's not. He will leave straight after school to see me. You will not keep him after school… Mrs. Jokhu, if he won't show up to class, what makes you think he'll show up for detention. I will deal with my son."
She hung up and picked up another pencil to finish going over the paperwork. "And these are for tax purposes… and this is the benefits package…"
Jesse nodded and took the stack of papers and ran a quick eye over them. "Covers…"
"Spouse and children."
"Dependant parents?"
Isabel looked up at his question and then got up to find her insurance manual. "I actually don't know. Dad's retired and the state's provided for him."
"So you have a kid?" Jesse bent his head over his forms, the pen flying over the most important of the documents.
"Three." Isabel pulled a five-inch binder out of a cabinet and hefted it onto the table to flip through it. She looked up to find an incredulous expression on his face. "I'm older than I look… much so."
"Mine's eleven." Jesse snorted. "If anyone had told me that pre-pubescent boys could contain such attitude… I might have traded him in for a girl at birth."
"According to my brother, teen girls are hell on earth." Isabel laughed to herself. "But I'll find out in about four years." She flipped through section after section and back as directed but she couldn't find the section she was looking for. "How'd your wife feel about moving to Roswell from Boston?"
Jesse looked up and then down. "She passed away five years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I'm helping out my mom. She doesn't get to see Sebastián as much as she'd like to and it's getting hard for her to get around." His head bobbed up and down as he talked. "I'd like to spend more time with both of them. I've been considering this move since Patty passed."
"That's good. Family's important. My family is so close, we're all claustrophobic. What time is it?" Isabel turned to look at the clock. "3:45. I'm going to kill that kid."
"No, you won't." Alex spoke as he opened the door. "Jokhu kept me in her office all afternoon. I think she let me go ten minutes late just to piss you off. What did you say to her?"
"Jesse Ramirez, my eldest. Alex Whitman, my new partner." Isabel sat back and crossed her arms. "Sit. Now."
"Do you want me to leave?" Jesse cleared his throat.
"No. I find that humiliation is a great parental tool." Isabel turned to her son when he pulled a chair around to sit next to her. "We talked about this."
"I didn't mean to do it, it was an accident." Alex shrugged and waited for the yelling.
"You promised that you would go to class. You have barely a year left and that's it, you can do whatever you want. One year, Alexander." Isabel sat up straight. "How in the hell do you accidentally miss a class?"
"I went to the music room at lunch to write a song. Before I knew it the bell was ringing and it was 7th period. I was going to get an excuse but Jokhu saw me and pulled me into the office." He shrugged again.
"Listen to me, this is going to stop, accidental or otherwise." She leaned forward to look him in the eyes. "No ditching, no backtalk. If it happens again, I'll ask Aunt Liz to walk you to all your classes." She sat back and turned to her notebook once again. "The file cabinets are waiting for you."
"Yes, ma'am." Alex got to his feet and grabbed the stack of folders waiting to be filed.
"Lynette can wait to talk to you tomorrow, no phone and no going out." Isabel shook her head. Alex nodded to himself and then shook his head as the image of Lynette and Sam in the cafeteria filled his mind. "Alex?"
"Not going to be a problem."
"Good." Isabel turned to Jesse. "I actually don't have the details on that but um, maybe you could ask the consultant when you turn in your forms."
"Will do."
"Okay." Isabel rose from her seat to stretch a little. "The office is being painted, so you'll be in here with me for a while. Hope you don't mind."
"That's fine. I wasn't expecting an office." Jesse shook his head and set his forms aside.
"Alright, I gave you the catalogue last night. If we get the order in by…" She yawned. "Oh, excuse me. By Thursday, it'll be here the day after the paint dries." She cleared her throat. "You're familiar with a courtroom and you don't resort to theatrics, I like that. After you get settled a little, we'll start throwing you in the courtroom. This is Roswell, there's hardly anything big. That property case we're working on is nearly over and that's old news. It was also the biggest case we've had in a while."
"What's your specialty?"
"Contracts. I do really well with the fine print." Isabel opened the door and made a motion to Lila. "You've met Lila and Bruce. They really run things around here. There are five associates, three of whom are Maury's boys. You've probably met them at one point or another. Hank Ryan does divorce, Quincey Miles does any criminal cases we might need done… Perry Lyons is… small claims or anything I feel like assigning him." Isabel caught his smile and nodded. "Yes, it's good to be the boss. Ford Walsh is my guy for family court. People… especially women, open up to him. Kim Isaacs does really well in open court. Paralegals come and go. Millhouse, Darren, Uly, Peters and Wilma are the currents."
"Are those first or last names?"
"I don't remember." Isabel opened the door for Lila who carried in a small cake and headed up the entrance of everyone in the office. Jesse blinked at all the people who lined up behind Lila. "Jesse Ramirez, welcome to the team."
Noise built as people introduced themselves and had cake. Alex could only nod to the cooler of the bunch as he continued his filing.
--
"Waitress!"
Kathy wanted to cry. Her feet hurt, her back hurt and if she broke one more plate, she would have earned nothing for the day. She glanced at Beth and she was doing just fine at the register on that stool.
"Waitress!"
"Coming."
--
"Mobecca's got short hair and she paint a picture of Becky and I paint pictures of Mommy and you." David rambled on and on about how much fun he had at daycare. Max could only smile and urge him on. "Jeerry's got shoes with lights when he runs and stomps hims feet. I want shoes like that, Daddy… and Vitty talks a lot and him makes me waugh."
"Yeah?" Max reached over and squeezed his shoe.
"Uh-huh. Daddy, I love you."
"Love you, too."
"And I love Mommy and Danny and Kitty and Befanny."
"Me too."
"Daddy, I want a puppy."
"A puppy?" Max hissed. "I don't know. We'd have to talk to Mommy about that one."
"A black one with white spots."
"We'll see."
"I can call him Pepper."
"Thought a lot about this have we?" Max ruffled his hair and pulled into the driveway.
"And I can pway catch with him… and…"
--
Emily looked up when the door opened. Michael entered the house and stepped into the kitchen. He froze when he saw her… then he turned, grabbed a Coke from the fridge and continued on to the garage. Emily winced at the loud bangs that emitted from the garage and jumped at the small explosion. The longer he was in there making noise, the worse she felt. When he reemerged, he went straight for the staircase without even a glance in her direction.
When the door slammed upstairs, Oriel walked into the house in complete confusion. She turned to Emily. "What did he do to the bike?"
--
Isabel walked into the house and found her little ones doing their homework and a great smell permeating the house. Alex brushed past her and disappeared into his room. All she could do was sigh and check the kitchen, surprised when she saw the cook. "Kyle?"
"Yeah?" He wouldn't look up from the stove.
"What are you doing home?"
"I'm on call. If they need me, they'll call." He shrugged.
"Where's your dad?"
"Entertaining an unexpected guest… who's staying for dinner." Teeth clenched, he threw the spoon into the pot of pasta. Kyle leaned on the counter with his hands clenched in his hair. "How was your day?"
"Kyle." Isabel reached out to hug him but he shook his head. "What's wrong?"
"It's my mom."
"Your mom?"
Tugged at his hair and shut his eyes. "The woman who left me and my dad when I was nine? My mom. She showed up at the station looking for Dad. They've been talking for a long time. I tried to tell her about you and the kids but… I get so mad. She doesn't have any right."
"Sweetie." Isabel pulled his hands out of his hair. "Don't worry about it. It'll be okay…" She finally succeeded in getting her arms around him. "Did she say why she's here?"
"No and… I just can't talk to her." Eyes on the ceiling and head tilted back. "What am I supposed to say? Thanks for abandoning us? Where have you been the last 26 years?"
"Relax. It'll be fine. Let's get dinner finished."
TBC
Two parts because I've got a moment and have them with me. Still doing the hectic life and I'm postponing updates on everything else until next week.
Part 75 of a current 104
The Fate of Destiny 75
Dinner was awkward and quiet. Michele broke the silence. "Jimmy, this is a nice house you've got."
"I go by Kyle, Mom." Kyle picked at the noodles on his plate, turning them and wrapping them around his fork but rarely taking a bite.
"Since when?"
"Since I was 10." He shot her a look and then returned his eyes to his plate.
"Annabel, this is very good." Michele gestured to her plate.
"Actually, Kyle cooked." Isabel cleared her throat and offered Kyle a small smile.
"Actually, Mom, her name is Isabel." Shot a look to his father and a sympathetic face to his children. "Remind me and I'll pick up some name tags later. The kids are Alex, Liberty and Kyle Jr. by the way… just in case you forgot already."
Michele set her fork down and dropped her gaze to her lap. "I'm sorry. Obviously I'm a horrible mother. I don't know my son's name or that my husband moved out of our house.."
"I think you can stop saying 'ours' and 'husband' when the divorce is final." Kyle pushed his plate away. He threw his napkin on the table. "I've gotta go relieve Soltero."
Isabel kept her eyes on the table until she heard the front door shut. Then she looked to her father-in-law, who had been suspiciously quiet all evening. Jim was too busy polishing off his second helping of pasta to look like he had been listening. Isabel bit her lip and sighed. "Um, well… I hate to leave you at the table but… I have court in the morning and the kids have school. Kyle, it's bath time."
"Mom…" Kyle picked up his plate and whined his way into the kitchen.
"It was nice meeting you, Michele." Isabel gathered her plate and Kyle's food-laden one to put away. "Where are you staying?"
"The Tumbleweed." Michele nodded with a small smile to Isabel's small smile and nod. One by one the Valentis vacated the table. Michele looked to Jim. He was working on a third helping and his second beer. "Thank you so much."
"You asked me not to interfere. I didn't." Jim shrugged. "It's not going to be better overnight. I think Kyle is more upset than even he thought he would be."
"The oldest one isn't his."
"No."
"Where's the father?"
"Don't do that." Jim cleared his throat and pushed his plate away. "Don't try to relate to Isabel. You can't."
"Because she took her kid with her when she left?"
"You and Isabel aren't even in the same boat." His anger finally rose to the surface. "I understand not talking to me but you stopped talking to your son and he's never forgiven you for that. We have always had nothing but each other and we don't need you coming in to reclaim familial ties." He rose from the table. "If you ever try to compare yourself to my daughter-in-law again…" He let the thought lapse and cleared his plate. "None of us invited you back into our lives… this is Kyle's house. If you make him unhappy, I'm not going to stop him from asking you to leave."
After a moment, Michele gathered her plate and glass to join Jim in the kitchen. "When did Jimmy get married? Isabel looked a good deal younger…"
"Kyle." Jim reminded her. "Kyle and Isabel started dating when Alex was two or three… I think… He's 17 now… they've been married about ten years."
"So they dated quite a while." Michele leaned on the counter and swept a grayed lock from her face.
"They were friends for a good while… since high school. Isabel's boyfriend died, then Alex was born. Kyle had a few girlfriends… one serious one but she left him and suddenly, they were best friends with a lot to talk about. I'll tell you… I watched them for weeks, trying to figure it out. They are so much alike in that they are so independent but need someone to rely on."
"I guess I know that you're impressed with her."
"Your opinion doesn't count." Jim reminded her. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Michele… If you're not going to stick around, don't. Kyle won't be able to take it if you make him love you again and then take off."
--
"I smell like meat." Kathy announced when she walked into the house.
Liz didn't even look up from the stack of papers she was grading but her smirk showed that she remembered those days all too well. David looked up at his sister from where he had been hanging off the couch. "Kathy."
"What?" She snapped at him.
"I love you."
Max watched Kathy's face melt for a second with guilt before she sighed. "Love you, too, little guy."
"Hey, where's your sister?" Max got to his feet to see around his daughter. "She did come home with you, right?"
"She went upstairs to shower."
"First day didn't go well?" Max guided her to the kitchen to sit.
"It's my second day and no. Grandpa scheduled me to work Valentine's day. Jacobi was going to take me to Chez Pierre." Kathy groaned and grabbed a piece of paper before Max could pull it off the table. "Oh ew! You haven't had that done yet?" She shot to her feet. "I'm going to bed. Today was great. Just… great."
When Max turned, a curious Liz was looking up at him. Grabbing the brochure, he returned to the den.
--
Emily wiped a tear from her cheek, smearing grease in its path. The light bulb glared down on her as she struggled to put the pieces of the bike together. The garage door was open a crack to let out the fumes from the grease but shut enough to keep anyone from seeing her use her powers to pull errant screws and bolts from beneath the car and shelves. Once in a while she had to reform a piece that had warped when her father had blown the thing up.
She knew she looked horrible. Her hair tangled up in a knot on top of her head, her eyes red from crying, cheeks puffy, tank top dirty and streaked with grease, her baggy pants barely clinging to her hips. She had worked her way through about half the damage inflicted on the machine and the chill of night was already creeping into the garage. Sometimes she could pick out words that drifted down through the vents.
"… don't what I'm gonna do…"
"… can't even look at her…"
"… just wanna kill that kid…"
The words that registered in her head were usually followed by a tear down her face. Her fingers worked diligently despite sore calluses, pricked fingers and scraped knuckles. By dawn most of the damage inflicted on the bike had been repaired. Pink morning mixed with the flickering 40 watt. Tired eyes focused on getting the last few pieces into place.
She was testing the ignition when the kitchen door squeaked open. "I was going to do that."
Emily nearly jumped out of her skin. Her heart thudded wildly for a few moments. She fiddled with a few wires and tried again. "It was my fault you blew it up. I'll fix it."
"Em…" Michael took a breath took a seat on his own bike. He had been about to panic when he woke up and his daughter wasn't in her bed. He had been two seconds from giving in and calling Max when he had heard the noise in the garage. It killed him to find his daughter all greasy and dirty with tear tracks running down her face. He felt like hugging her to make it all better but then the image of his little girl and her boyfriend floated into his mind.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Em focused her eyes on the wires, fiddling with them long after she had known anything that she could have done with them. The silence stretched between them as the light bulb gave out and rosy dawn slipped inside to take over. "Just… punish me or something. I… I can't live like this."
"I can't." Michael shook his head and disappeared back into the house.
--
Alex moved from class to class. Notes were taken, assignments worked on, homework handed in but he couldn't remember doing any of it. Then suddenly he was walking to his mother's office and Lynette was driving beside him. He looked up. Two doors down and he would be there. There wasn't enough time to escape.
"Where have you been these last few days?" She called out as she climbed out of the car.
"Same places I've always been." Alex shrugged and searched for some cool to cling to. "Can't say the same about you."
"What?" She blinked at him. "Don't make this about me."
"What is this?" Alex felt the anger rising from some place. To his knowledge, he hadn't done anything different but now… she wasn't there. "Are you picking a fight so that you can say you broke up with a jerk?" She didn't answer right away and that was all Alex needed to know. When she opened her mouth, he cut her off. "It's over. Okay? I'm tired of watching you hang all over Sam and listening from other people that you've complained to that I'm taking you for granted. Just save it all for someone who still gives a damn. I quit."
"No." She protested on reflex but Alex had already shut the door on that one. Before she could follow him, he had disappeared into his mother's building.
--
Liz guided her four-year-old into the house and immediately began relaxing a little. She had some pop quizzes to grade and she was dreading it. She had insisted that her students write some kind of answer and from their blank expressions there would be a lot of wrong answers. A glance at the refrigerator said that there would only three stomachs to worry about and she didn't feel like cooking. Danny had half a cupcake in his hand when she turned to put her bag on a chair. "Hey."
"Hey." He nodded.
"Where was your better half today?" Liz continued on back to her room. "She missed her physics class."
"She got into a fight with Michael, she went home." Danny cleared his throat and tilted his head in a gesture that was meant to say he didn't know anymore than that. When his mother reappeared, she gave him a look. "What? She doesn't talk about her problems unless she already knows what to do."
"She's a Guerin." Liz rolled her eyes and opened the freezer. "Frozen pizza or lasagna?"
"I'm not really hungry." He grabbed a banana and disappeared.
She listened to his footsteps thud up the stairs and into his room. His music blasted out the stereo before a huge thump that had to be his landing on the bed. Turning to her youngest son, Liz tilted her head. "Pizza?"
"Yep." David nodded.
--
Michael entered the house to find the radio on in the kitchen, spaghetti sauce bubbling and Oriel on the phone. When she turned suddenly, she looked guilty and that's when he noticed Emily's absence.
"No, I wasn't aware… I'll talk to her." Oriel set the phone down, biting her lip nervously. "That was Mrs. Jokhu."
"Where is she?"
"I don't know." She turned to the stove. "She wasn't home when I got home… she wasn't at school today… in any of her classes."
After a long silence, Michael standing with his fists on his hips and his eyes on the ground, he reached for the phone and dialed.
--
Valenti didn't hear the phone ring over the buzz of an electric saw. Berty didn't hear it over the distant buzz and the TV pushing 30.
--
Aggravated, Michael began dialing every number he could think of. Friends that Emily hadn't spoken to since the third grade. No one knew where she was and no one had seen her all day. Fuming, he sat to eat his spaghetti. He never did more than twirl his fork through the noodles before he started to get up. Then he'd sit and swirl garlic toast through the mess in his bowl until it was soggy and then he wouldn't eat it.
Oriel sat as quietly as she could. She had witnessed the heavy silences and if any of them had been directed at her, she might have been tempted to be anywhere but in the same room with Michael. She didn't really blame Emily for wanting away but surely, especially, Emily knew that disappearing would make matters worse.
He leapt out of his seat and dialed a number, eyes shut and praying that a certain former best friend wouldn't answer.
--
"Hello?" Liz answered the phone without taking her eyes off her grade book and red-stained quizzes.
"Liz, it's me. Have you seen Emily?"
"Not since yesterday."
"Dammit!" Michael raged over the phone and the loud pop of an explosion traveled over the line.
"Michael?" Liz sat up. "Did something happen?"
"Em's not home. She didn't go to school today and nobody has seen her."
"If you were fighting… did you really expect her to be in the same room with you?"
"Who told you we were fighting?" Michael went still.
"Danny told me today—"
"I'm gonna kill your kid. He told you that we were fighting? Ask him what it's all about."
"He said he didn't know…" Liz furrowed her brow.
"Ask him again and tell him that you've already spoken to me. I'm sure he'll sing like a bird." The dial tone rang through Liz's ear.
"Daniel Parker Evans!"
--
Alex set two bags and a handful of change on the long conference table between his mother and the new lawyer. Plucking his orange soda from one bag and his burger from the other, he migrated to the other end of the table to avoid as much human contact as possible. But as the two decided to break while they ate, that was impossible. Isabel turned to her son. "How was school?"
"English, Latin, Trig, US History, they were all there and just as boring as yesterday."
"Physics?"
"I was there, ask Aunt Liz." He rolled his eyes and concentrated on picking the pickles out of the burger.
"You know, I have a cousin your age. Maybe you know her." Jesse licked some sauce off his finger and then reached for a napkin. "Lynnette—"
"Yeah. I do." Alex set his jaw and turned from the adults.
"Lynette's your cousin?" Isabel tried to move past Alex's rudeness. "She's a great girl." She told Jesse sincerely and wiped grease off her fingers. "They've been dating for something like five months. Right, sweetie?"
"Yeah. We dated for four months, two weeks, three days and 12 hours. Can we talk about something else now?" Alex bit out.
"Alex." Isabel barked sharply. "What's wrong with you?"
"We broke up. Okay?" He threw his napkin down and stormed from the conference room with his drink and burger. A few seconds later the inner office door slammed shut.
Isabel tried to look unflustered by Alex's actions but Jesse sent her a sympathetic look and she sank into her seat. No longer hungry, she just picked at her fries. "I suppose it's too late to ask for a trade-in."
--
Kyle nodded to the phone. "Calm down, Michael. I'm sure she's fine. If her temper is still anywhere near yours, she's just blowing off steam somewhere… I'm serious. If she still hasn't turned up tonight… I'll go looking for her but I can't file a report until tomorrow morning… she's fine. She can take care of herself… she's not of this earth, she can handle herself."
Soltero poked his head into the office. "Boss, there's a woman to see you."
"I promise I'll find her in any case." Kyle hung up the phone and looked to his deputy. "She wouldn't happen to have blue eyes and gray and light brown hair, would she?"
"That's her."
"Tell her to go away."
"Chief?"
"Fine." Kyle pushed past the perplexed man and met his mother in the lobby. "Mom, care for a ride somewhere?"
--
Alex slammed the front door, startling his younger siblings and his grandfather. "If Lynette calls, tell her I took a long walk…"
"Where?" Jim called after him.
"Off a short pier." Alex called back. "I won't be back in this lifetime."
"Okay. Just don't slam—" Jim winced as the boom echoed through the house. "The door.
Alex dropped his bag on the floor and sipped his soda. He wasn't pissed enough to stop being hungry but he didn't taste the burger he wolfed down during his walk. He sank onto the bed and immediately came into contact with a warm body. "Whoa! Holy shit."
Emily sat up and barely managed to appear apologetic. "Sorry."
"Hey." Alex nodded stiffly. "What's up?"
She brought her knees to her chest and shrugged. "Daddy hates me." She tried to laugh but she had only just started to smile when the sob erupted. "I didn't know where else to go. Do you mind?"
"It's cool." He nodded and climbed onto the bed on the other side of her. She curled up next to him and he took in her already puffy eyes, red circling the green irises, hair knotted on top of her head. Grease streaked her tank and jeans, not to mention any available flesh. "You been here all day?"
Emily could only nod as tears flowed for the hundredth time that day. After a good long while of fighting the sobs, she lay back. "Your phone's been ringing since school let out. My dad a couple of times and then Lynette a whole bunch of times."
"We broke up and I think she wanted the final word." Alex grabbed the blankets and sheets from the bottom of the bed and pulled them up and over the both of them. "Now, I don't think we've done this since we were 10 but I won't kick you if you don't punch me."
"Deal."
TBC
Dinner was awkward and quiet. Michele broke the silence. "Jimmy, this is a nice house you've got."
"I go by Kyle, Mom." Kyle picked at the noodles on his plate, turning them and wrapping them around his fork but rarely taking a bite.
"Since when?"
"Since I was 10." He shot her a look and then returned his eyes to his plate.
"Annabel, this is very good." Michele gestured to her plate.
"Actually, Kyle cooked." Isabel cleared her throat and offered Kyle a small smile.
"Actually, Mom, her name is Isabel." Shot a look to his father and a sympathetic face to his children. "Remind me and I'll pick up some name tags later. The kids are Alex, Liberty and Kyle Jr. by the way… just in case you forgot already."
Michele set her fork down and dropped her gaze to her lap. "I'm sorry. Obviously I'm a horrible mother. I don't know my son's name or that my husband moved out of our house.."
"I think you can stop saying 'ours' and 'husband' when the divorce is final." Kyle pushed his plate away. He threw his napkin on the table. "I've gotta go relieve Soltero."
Isabel kept her eyes on the table until she heard the front door shut. Then she looked to her father-in-law, who had been suspiciously quiet all evening. Jim was too busy polishing off his second helping of pasta to look like he had been listening. Isabel bit her lip and sighed. "Um, well… I hate to leave you at the table but… I have court in the morning and the kids have school. Kyle, it's bath time."
"Mom…" Kyle picked up his plate and whined his way into the kitchen.
"It was nice meeting you, Michele." Isabel gathered her plate and Kyle's food-laden one to put away. "Where are you staying?"
"The Tumbleweed." Michele nodded with a small smile to Isabel's small smile and nod. One by one the Valentis vacated the table. Michele looked to Jim. He was working on a third helping and his second beer. "Thank you so much."
"You asked me not to interfere. I didn't." Jim shrugged. "It's not going to be better overnight. I think Kyle is more upset than even he thought he would be."
"The oldest one isn't his."
"No."
"Where's the father?"
"Don't do that." Jim cleared his throat and pushed his plate away. "Don't try to relate to Isabel. You can't."
"Because she took her kid with her when she left?"
"You and Isabel aren't even in the same boat." His anger finally rose to the surface. "I understand not talking to me but you stopped talking to your son and he's never forgiven you for that. We have always had nothing but each other and we don't need you coming in to reclaim familial ties." He rose from the table. "If you ever try to compare yourself to my daughter-in-law again…" He let the thought lapse and cleared his plate. "None of us invited you back into our lives… this is Kyle's house. If you make him unhappy, I'm not going to stop him from asking you to leave."
After a moment, Michele gathered her plate and glass to join Jim in the kitchen. "When did Jimmy get married? Isabel looked a good deal younger…"
"Kyle." Jim reminded her. "Kyle and Isabel started dating when Alex was two or three… I think… He's 17 now… they've been married about ten years."
"So they dated quite a while." Michele leaned on the counter and swept a grayed lock from her face.
"They were friends for a good while… since high school. Isabel's boyfriend died, then Alex was born. Kyle had a few girlfriends… one serious one but she left him and suddenly, they were best friends with a lot to talk about. I'll tell you… I watched them for weeks, trying to figure it out. They are so much alike in that they are so independent but need someone to rely on."
"I guess I know that you're impressed with her."
"Your opinion doesn't count." Jim reminded her. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Michele… If you're not going to stick around, don't. Kyle won't be able to take it if you make him love you again and then take off."
--
"I smell like meat." Kathy announced when she walked into the house.
Liz didn't even look up from the stack of papers she was grading but her smirk showed that she remembered those days all too well. David looked up at his sister from where he had been hanging off the couch. "Kathy."
"What?" She snapped at him.
"I love you."
Max watched Kathy's face melt for a second with guilt before she sighed. "Love you, too, little guy."
"Hey, where's your sister?" Max got to his feet to see around his daughter. "She did come home with you, right?"
"She went upstairs to shower."
"First day didn't go well?" Max guided her to the kitchen to sit.
"It's my second day and no. Grandpa scheduled me to work Valentine's day. Jacobi was going to take me to Chez Pierre." Kathy groaned and grabbed a piece of paper before Max could pull it off the table. "Oh ew! You haven't had that done yet?" She shot to her feet. "I'm going to bed. Today was great. Just… great."
When Max turned, a curious Liz was looking up at him. Grabbing the brochure, he returned to the den.
--
Emily wiped a tear from her cheek, smearing grease in its path. The light bulb glared down on her as she struggled to put the pieces of the bike together. The garage door was open a crack to let out the fumes from the grease but shut enough to keep anyone from seeing her use her powers to pull errant screws and bolts from beneath the car and shelves. Once in a while she had to reform a piece that had warped when her father had blown the thing up.
She knew she looked horrible. Her hair tangled up in a knot on top of her head, her eyes red from crying, cheeks puffy, tank top dirty and streaked with grease, her baggy pants barely clinging to her hips. She had worked her way through about half the damage inflicted on the machine and the chill of night was already creeping into the garage. Sometimes she could pick out words that drifted down through the vents.
"… don't what I'm gonna do…"
"… can't even look at her…"
"… just wanna kill that kid…"
The words that registered in her head were usually followed by a tear down her face. Her fingers worked diligently despite sore calluses, pricked fingers and scraped knuckles. By dawn most of the damage inflicted on the bike had been repaired. Pink morning mixed with the flickering 40 watt. Tired eyes focused on getting the last few pieces into place.
She was testing the ignition when the kitchen door squeaked open. "I was going to do that."
Emily nearly jumped out of her skin. Her heart thudded wildly for a few moments. She fiddled with a few wires and tried again. "It was my fault you blew it up. I'll fix it."
"Em…" Michael took a breath took a seat on his own bike. He had been about to panic when he woke up and his daughter wasn't in her bed. He had been two seconds from giving in and calling Max when he had heard the noise in the garage. It killed him to find his daughter all greasy and dirty with tear tracks running down her face. He felt like hugging her to make it all better but then the image of his little girl and her boyfriend floated into his mind.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Em focused her eyes on the wires, fiddling with them long after she had known anything that she could have done with them. The silence stretched between them as the light bulb gave out and rosy dawn slipped inside to take over. "Just… punish me or something. I… I can't live like this."
"I can't." Michael shook his head and disappeared back into the house.
--
Alex moved from class to class. Notes were taken, assignments worked on, homework handed in but he couldn't remember doing any of it. Then suddenly he was walking to his mother's office and Lynette was driving beside him. He looked up. Two doors down and he would be there. There wasn't enough time to escape.
"Where have you been these last few days?" She called out as she climbed out of the car.
"Same places I've always been." Alex shrugged and searched for some cool to cling to. "Can't say the same about you."
"What?" She blinked at him. "Don't make this about me."
"What is this?" Alex felt the anger rising from some place. To his knowledge, he hadn't done anything different but now… she wasn't there. "Are you picking a fight so that you can say you broke up with a jerk?" She didn't answer right away and that was all Alex needed to know. When she opened her mouth, he cut her off. "It's over. Okay? I'm tired of watching you hang all over Sam and listening from other people that you've complained to that I'm taking you for granted. Just save it all for someone who still gives a damn. I quit."
"No." She protested on reflex but Alex had already shut the door on that one. Before she could follow him, he had disappeared into his mother's building.
--
Liz guided her four-year-old into the house and immediately began relaxing a little. She had some pop quizzes to grade and she was dreading it. She had insisted that her students write some kind of answer and from their blank expressions there would be a lot of wrong answers. A glance at the refrigerator said that there would only three stomachs to worry about and she didn't feel like cooking. Danny had half a cupcake in his hand when she turned to put her bag on a chair. "Hey."
"Hey." He nodded.
"Where was your better half today?" Liz continued on back to her room. "She missed her physics class."
"She got into a fight with Michael, she went home." Danny cleared his throat and tilted his head in a gesture that was meant to say he didn't know anymore than that. When his mother reappeared, she gave him a look. "What? She doesn't talk about her problems unless she already knows what to do."
"She's a Guerin." Liz rolled her eyes and opened the freezer. "Frozen pizza or lasagna?"
"I'm not really hungry." He grabbed a banana and disappeared.
She listened to his footsteps thud up the stairs and into his room. His music blasted out the stereo before a huge thump that had to be his landing on the bed. Turning to her youngest son, Liz tilted her head. "Pizza?"
"Yep." David nodded.
--
Michael entered the house to find the radio on in the kitchen, spaghetti sauce bubbling and Oriel on the phone. When she turned suddenly, she looked guilty and that's when he noticed Emily's absence.
"No, I wasn't aware… I'll talk to her." Oriel set the phone down, biting her lip nervously. "That was Mrs. Jokhu."
"Where is she?"
"I don't know." She turned to the stove. "She wasn't home when I got home… she wasn't at school today… in any of her classes."
After a long silence, Michael standing with his fists on his hips and his eyes on the ground, he reached for the phone and dialed.
--
Valenti didn't hear the phone ring over the buzz of an electric saw. Berty didn't hear it over the distant buzz and the TV pushing 30.
--
Aggravated, Michael began dialing every number he could think of. Friends that Emily hadn't spoken to since the third grade. No one knew where she was and no one had seen her all day. Fuming, he sat to eat his spaghetti. He never did more than twirl his fork through the noodles before he started to get up. Then he'd sit and swirl garlic toast through the mess in his bowl until it was soggy and then he wouldn't eat it.
Oriel sat as quietly as she could. She had witnessed the heavy silences and if any of them had been directed at her, she might have been tempted to be anywhere but in the same room with Michael. She didn't really blame Emily for wanting away but surely, especially, Emily knew that disappearing would make matters worse.
He leapt out of his seat and dialed a number, eyes shut and praying that a certain former best friend wouldn't answer.
--
"Hello?" Liz answered the phone without taking her eyes off her grade book and red-stained quizzes.
"Liz, it's me. Have you seen Emily?"
"Not since yesterday."
"Dammit!" Michael raged over the phone and the loud pop of an explosion traveled over the line.
"Michael?" Liz sat up. "Did something happen?"
"Em's not home. She didn't go to school today and nobody has seen her."
"If you were fighting… did you really expect her to be in the same room with you?"
"Who told you we were fighting?" Michael went still.
"Danny told me today—"
"I'm gonna kill your kid. He told you that we were fighting? Ask him what it's all about."
"He said he didn't know…" Liz furrowed her brow.
"Ask him again and tell him that you've already spoken to me. I'm sure he'll sing like a bird." The dial tone rang through Liz's ear.
"Daniel Parker Evans!"
--
Alex set two bags and a handful of change on the long conference table between his mother and the new lawyer. Plucking his orange soda from one bag and his burger from the other, he migrated to the other end of the table to avoid as much human contact as possible. But as the two decided to break while they ate, that was impossible. Isabel turned to her son. "How was school?"
"English, Latin, Trig, US History, they were all there and just as boring as yesterday."
"Physics?"
"I was there, ask Aunt Liz." He rolled his eyes and concentrated on picking the pickles out of the burger.
"You know, I have a cousin your age. Maybe you know her." Jesse licked some sauce off his finger and then reached for a napkin. "Lynnette—"
"Yeah. I do." Alex set his jaw and turned from the adults.
"Lynette's your cousin?" Isabel tried to move past Alex's rudeness. "She's a great girl." She told Jesse sincerely and wiped grease off her fingers. "They've been dating for something like five months. Right, sweetie?"
"Yeah. We dated for four months, two weeks, three days and 12 hours. Can we talk about something else now?" Alex bit out.
"Alex." Isabel barked sharply. "What's wrong with you?"
"We broke up. Okay?" He threw his napkin down and stormed from the conference room with his drink and burger. A few seconds later the inner office door slammed shut.
Isabel tried to look unflustered by Alex's actions but Jesse sent her a sympathetic look and she sank into her seat. No longer hungry, she just picked at her fries. "I suppose it's too late to ask for a trade-in."
--
Kyle nodded to the phone. "Calm down, Michael. I'm sure she's fine. If her temper is still anywhere near yours, she's just blowing off steam somewhere… I'm serious. If she still hasn't turned up tonight… I'll go looking for her but I can't file a report until tomorrow morning… she's fine. She can take care of herself… she's not of this earth, she can handle herself."
Soltero poked his head into the office. "Boss, there's a woman to see you."
"I promise I'll find her in any case." Kyle hung up the phone and looked to his deputy. "She wouldn't happen to have blue eyes and gray and light brown hair, would she?"
"That's her."
"Tell her to go away."
"Chief?"
"Fine." Kyle pushed past the perplexed man and met his mother in the lobby. "Mom, care for a ride somewhere?"
--
Alex slammed the front door, startling his younger siblings and his grandfather. "If Lynette calls, tell her I took a long walk…"
"Where?" Jim called after him.
"Off a short pier." Alex called back. "I won't be back in this lifetime."
"Okay. Just don't slam—" Jim winced as the boom echoed through the house. "The door.
Alex dropped his bag on the floor and sipped his soda. He wasn't pissed enough to stop being hungry but he didn't taste the burger he wolfed down during his walk. He sank onto the bed and immediately came into contact with a warm body. "Whoa! Holy shit."
Emily sat up and barely managed to appear apologetic. "Sorry."
"Hey." Alex nodded stiffly. "What's up?"
She brought her knees to her chest and shrugged. "Daddy hates me." She tried to laugh but she had only just started to smile when the sob erupted. "I didn't know where else to go. Do you mind?"
"It's cool." He nodded and climbed onto the bed on the other side of her. She curled up next to him and he took in her already puffy eyes, red circling the green irises, hair knotted on top of her head. Grease streaked her tank and jeans, not to mention any available flesh. "You been here all day?"
Emily could only nod as tears flowed for the hundredth time that day. After a good long while of fighting the sobs, she lay back. "Your phone's been ringing since school let out. My dad a couple of times and then Lynette a whole bunch of times."
"We broke up and I think she wanted the final word." Alex grabbed the blankets and sheets from the bottom of the bed and pulled them up and over the both of them. "Now, I don't think we've done this since we were 10 but I won't kick you if you don't punch me."
"Deal."
TBC